Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace
by Autobot Rewind
Summary: Saito gets saved from Louise, but not without a fight. Agnes trains him, but is it more than that? Who takes him on as a familiar, and what is his new power? Tabitha and Henrietta both love Saito, but is it possible to be with 2 queens? Where does this leave Siesta and Tiffania? Follow the Familiar Of Zero story, but with some changes. Saito,Tabitha,Siesta,Henrietta,Agnes,Tiffania
1. Chapter 1: Broken

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

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Saito gets saved from Louise, but not without a fight. Agnes trains him, but is it more than that? Who takes him on as a familiar, and what is his new power? Tabitha and Henrietta both love Saito, but is it possible to be with 2 queens? Where does this leave Siesta and Tiffania? Follow the Familiar Of Zero story, but with some changes. Saito,Tabitha,Siesta,Henrietta,Agnes,Tiffania

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero

This familiar of zero fan-fiction starts of between episodes 6 and 7 of the 2nd season. This is after Saito helps Henrietta snuff out Richemont but before Agnes goes under the school to find the information she is looking for.

There is one change from the anime. Instead of Richemont telling Agnes that the information she is looking for is under academy, he only tells her that it is in a secret archive somewhere.

This is my first fan-fiction, and hopefully one of many to come. I hope you enjoy

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter One

Broken

Saito's day starts off normally just like any of his other days.

Saito is asleep on his wonderful stack of hay. He is in his usual blue, long sleeve tunic. And he is also slightly snoring. His was a little disheveled like usual. He also had some minor lacerations on him.

Why was he in this situation? Well the answer to that is quite easy. Louise.

Louise had whipped him that night with the riding crop because of his excursions with Henrietta. He must have been doing typical lewd things around Henrietta because he is such a dog. Of course she whipped him without even knowing the full story.

She didn't know that Henrietta had shoved his hand in her cleavage to avoid some guards

She didn't know that Henrietta had pulled off her own top, pressed herself against Saito and kissed him to avoid the guards looking for her.

She also didn't seem to care about the fact that he had saved the queen from being stabbed.

***************Flashback***************

"You are sleeping on the hay tonight like the dog you are.

Saito tries to refute, "But. . ."

"No butts unless you want to miss a meal tomorrow", Louise interjects before he could finish.

"I am going to bed", she huffs, sticks her nose into the air, and then she heads for bed.

Saito begrudgingly leans Derf against the wall and settles onto his stack of hay like an animal to go to bed.

'Man, what is with her? I help Henrietta snuff out a traitor, stop someone from stabbing her, and this is the treatment I come back to? This isn't right.'

{It's ok. Just sleep on the hay tonight. You know she will get over it. You know you love her.}

He sighs.

'Yeah. Time for sleep.'

***************End Flashback***************

Saito wakes up to a pillow being thrown at his face.

"Huh?", he sits up rubbing his eyes to try to wake up. Wondering why she did that.

He looks up to see Louise standing in front of him with her hands on her hips with a stern glare coming from her face.

"Hurry up and help me get dressed. I don't want to be late." She tells him this as though he should have been up before her and waiting.

Highly annoyed by this treatment again, he still gets up to help her get dressed.

{You shouldn't be so upset. She is your master. Besides, don't you enjoy helping a girl change into her school attire?}

'She could at least be a little nicer about it.'

{But this is just how she is. You just have to accept it. It's ok.}

Saito just feels as though he is debating with himself.

He gets rewarded with an oddly comforting joy and warmth while he helps her get dressed.

Just as he finishes helping her get dressed he tells her "There. Done." You could hear the annoyance in his voice as he said it.

"Humph!"

She turns her head slightly to the side and closes her eyes. She starts to think of the fact that she will be seeing Julio momentarily and starts to get a slight blush on her face. This slight moment of happiness starts to fade as she opens her eyes again and gives Saito another glare out the corner of her eyes.

"Maybe Julio will treat me better than my own dog can."

'Great! Now she is throwing that man's name at me to add insult to injury'

{See what happens if you aren't good to her? Treat her right and you wouldn't have these issues.}

'Maybe so, but this still just irks me.'

{You deserved it. You should do whatever makes your master happy}

'I suppose so.'

Louise puts a smile on her face and quickly exits her room without Saito.

Derflinger pops out from his sheath and talks to Saito.

"Hey Partner"

Saito looks over at his battle partner. His sword. A sword that was once a rust-bucket sitting abandoned in a weapons shop. A sword that regained it's life when Saito wielded it. It's blade became shiny and sharp again, and it became alive with sentience.

"Hey Derf"

"It looks like she is pretty mad at you yet again."

"Yeah Derf, it sure does. I can't stand it though, but yet I feel an odd attraction to keep going back to her."

"Maybe it's because you love her", replies Derf.

{That's right.}

'It seems like that, but. . .'

Saito looks at Derflinger.

"I don't know."

"Hmmmm", Derf replies. Inquisically thinking about Saito's reply, but quickly dismisses it.

Saito quickly gets himself together. Not that there was much to get together considering he always wears the same clothes every day. He straps Derflinger to his back and heads out the door.

When entering the hallway he runs into probably the most tanned student in the whole academy, Kirche the Fever. Her beautiful long red hair enhancing her byname. She was walking down the hall with none other than Tabitha. Tabitha already had her nose stuffed into a book. It's amazing how she gets around without ever tripping. Kirche spots Saito.

"Darling!", she says as her eyes glisten and a huge smile forms on her face.

Saito tries to respond, but it's kind of muffled due to the fact that his whole face was stuffed into Kirche's cleavage embraced in a hug. She starts to sway a little back and forth while doing this.

In the background you start to hear some footsteps coming closer.

While still looking into her book, Tabitha gives Kirche a tap on the shoulder.

Kiche stops mid-sway.

"Huh?"

"Air" Is the only thing Tabitha says.

The fever releases him finally.

*smiles and scratches the back of his head*

"It's good to see you too Kirche"

"Saitoooooooooooo!" came out from beside the trio.

With flames in the background, a fire in her eyes, and her hair floating to some mysterious wind, there was Louise. She had came back to get her wand after leaving so quickly from her room and ran into the group with Saito's face in Kirche's chest.

"You dog! I can't leave you alone for one second, can I?"

"But I didn't . . . ." was all he could sputter before Louise interrupted him.

"I don't care to hear your excuses."

She grabs him by the back of his collar and proceeds to go back into her room with him.

"Wait….Louise" Saito cries out with his hands extended out as he is being dragged away. Louise shuts the door

Tabitha, still looking into her book, gives a sideways glance towards Louise's door and shakes her head slowly back and forth with a slightly sorrowful look to her face that could hardly be noticeable to the average person.

Kirche even has her own side of the issue. 'I shouldn't feel bad about being happy to see Saito. I know he is HER familiar, but he IS a human. I like to tease her but she is getting out of hand with her punishment.'

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{Now you've done it}

Louise proceeds to get out her studded green whip.

"Come on Louise!"

"I cannot let this go unpunished. You can't even be faithful to your master."

'She doesn't give me a reason to even want to be around her' he thinks to himself.

{That's no way to think. You love her. You should always want to be around her no matter what. You should endure anything to be with her. There is no one else for you but her.}

'Some of the others seem to like me and treat me better.'

{Louise is your one and only}

Saito starts to back up into a corner as Louise starts to walk toward him. She has a look in her eyes that can only be compared to a sadist. Then she starts to crack the whip.

With each crack of the whip and his cries of pain (which could be heard by not only Tabitha and Kirche, but also others too), Saito has a struggle going on in his head.

'Ow! This hurts so much. Did I really deserve this punishment?'

{Yes you did.}

'What?'

{You heard me right. You deserved this.}

'But I didn't even do anything?'

{That's the point. You didn't even try to fight away Kirche, so you deserve this.}

'I suppose'

*crack*

"Owwww!"

"This is what you get you perverted dog. First Henrietta, and now Kirche."

'This is becoming unbearable'

{You must bear it because she is your master.}

'But how? This hurts soo much.'

{I can make this go away}

Saito still thinks he is talking amongst himself.

'How is that possible?'

{Surrender yourself and go hide yourself away during times like these. Go to a happy place in your head. Let go.}

'Yeah', as though a light-bulb went off in his head.

'Is that really ok though'

{Of course it is!}

'But this is wrong. Isn't this abuse?'

{No. This is tough love. Can't you see how much you love her?}

'I guess I do.'

{That's right. Accept it.}

*Crack!*

"Ow."

{Now it's time to let it go and the pain will subside.}

Saito starts to bury his conscience.

{This is the right thing to do.}

'This is the right thing to do'

Just as Saito's eyes start to lose their gleam and life, Louise stops.

"I have wasted too much time here with you. I have to get going." She grabs her wand and exits.

Saito returns to normal.

"I guess we should get going too." Saito says to Derflinger.

He winces a little as he gets up.

"You ok partner?"

"Yeah."

What couldn't be seen, are the marks left by his lashings under his clothes.

Saito heads outside where everyone is training.

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It was a beautiful day outside (as it usually is) with the sun shining and a light breeze to keep the air flowing. The students were lined up in a handful of rows out on the lusciously green school grounds with their training staves.

The first part of the day is being handled by Agnes to train the students in defense without their wands. With the threat of attack at hand, she had to make sure these students were ready. She was her usual stone-cold self.

Sitting off way to the side was Saito. He was leaning against the stone wall surrounding the academy just watching what the students were doing. He was trying to keep his mind off of what happened earlier. Even though they were training with a staff, he was still watching intently. He was studying the form and movements that Agnes was teaching them. He would even occasionally get up and compare his stance and movements to theirs.

As the training kept going he found his attention shifting more towards Agnes than anyone else (even Louise).

At first, he was just watching her battle prowess. Her movements were calculated, precise, and pretty fluid-like. She didn't quite have the aura of a battle hardened warrior, but she was definitely a formidable opponent. He could tell that she has worked hard to get where she is at. She was definitely a good choice to have protecting Henrietta.

He started to drift somewhere in this process though. He started to watch and take in her beauty and her personality.

She was actually very easy on the eyes, and you could even say beautiful. Even though she acts more like a tomboy (Her position kind of forces her to be that way), her movements are very womanly. Her green outfit and white cape went nicely together with her short dirty-blond hair, and her average bust accentuated her nicely.

"I bet outside of her tough exterior that she is really nice."

Saito gets a mild blush on his face while still watching her.

He notices that she had a mild blush on her face too with a bead of sweat, but then she shakes it off.

'Must be from doing all this training'

Derflinger pops out. "Eyeing up another beautiful lady? Eh partner?", he says teasingly to Saito.

Blushing a little more. Saito crosses his arms, closes his eyes and sticks his nose in the air.

"I am not! I am just admiring her for being able to be in her position and not be one of those noble spell casters."

"Sure thing partner", he says teasingly again.

Saito stops his pout and looks at Derf seriously.

"I can see in her eyes though that she is holding something deep inside. Something sad, or something traumatic."

"I don't know what to tell ya, but you could be right. On a side note, I bet she would be a nice match for you."

"Derf!", he says as he snaps his head in Derf's direction.

'I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get to know her better, and I can't argue how pretty she is.'

{You shouldn't be thinking about anybody other that Louise}

Saito shakes his head a little bit.

'Ugh! Damn conflicting thoughts.'

Saito sighs.

Little does he know that Derflinger wasn't the one that noticed his musings. Agnes caught him out of the corner of her eye, and almost lost her poise in front of the students. She had shaken it off before that could happen.

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The students were wrapping up from Agnes's training. So Siesta, whom was waiting on the side with a bucket of cleaning supplies wearing her typical black maid outfit with white apron and orange ribbon, decided that now would be a good chance to get to her next destination without disturbing the students' training. Upon her trek across the greens, she stumbles upon Saito and gets a big grin on her face.

She starts waving as she approaches Saito.

"Hello Saito"

"Hey Siesta! Where are you heading?"

"I have to go do some cleaning. I heard that you were with Henrietta the other night tracking down a traitor."

He starts talking about the play and the fight that broke out when Richemont was figured out. He also described how he was able to stop one of Richemont's men from stabbing Henrietta. He was making all kinds of heroic movements with his hands while telling his story.

Siesta was gleaming from ear to ear while watching Saito. She stated to laugh about the dog costume he had to wear and his exaggerated movements while telling his story. She started to blush, and Saito was rubbing the back of his head.

The students had broken up from the training to take a break before Louise's sister Eleonore took over.

Louise decided to look for Saito.

Well, it didn't take long for her to find him. She found him and Siesta making a 'spectacle' of themselves. She found Saito scratching the back of his head and Siesta blushing and laughing at him.

"Saitooooooooooo!" Was all that could be heard at that point.

Louise stomps up towards Saito with the glare of the devil on her face. She stomps past Tabitha and Kirche (who take note of her anger towards Saito again). Of course, she assumed the worst out of what Saito and Siesta were doing.

"You dog!" Her hair flaring in the wind like fire as she approached.

'Great! Here we go again', thinks Saito.

"Again! With another woman. First Henrietta, Then Kirche, and now Siesta."

{Now you've done it. Here comes your punishment. You deserve this.}

Before Saito could even upper another word to refute Louise's accusations, she pulls him by the ear behind one of the buildings. Four other sets of eyes watch her do this.

"I can't believe you would do this to me again for the second time in one day."

Louise pulls her green whip out again from seemingly out of nowhere. She gets that look in her eyes again.

{You should only have eyes for Louise.}

'This is going to hurt.'

Louise starts to whip him furiously again for the second time today.

*Crack*Crack*Crack*

'Damnit! This hurts'

{Remember, you can make this go away}

'But this is wrong'

*Crack*

{You deserve this. You should only have eyes for Louise. You love Louise. If you give in, then you won't feel the pain anymore so you can endure anything from Louise.}

Saito tries to defend himself with his but is failing miserably.

'Maybe I should just give in.'

*Crack*

"Owww!"

That last crack of the whip got his face leaving a nice gash across his right cheek that starts to bleed. This was the final straw.

'I'm done. I can't take any more of this.'

{That's right. Everything will be ok now. You won't have to stress over this anymore.}

Saito starts not to resist anymore and starts to let go. His arms start to not even bother trying to resist, and the life starts to flow out of his eyes.

He starts imagining himself somewhere else. He imagines himself in a plain somewhere where there is a tree giving him some shade. He is leaning back with his eyes shut and a light breeze flowing over him. It's as if he didn't have a care in the world. Meanwhile, his body goes into a subconscious autopilot.

Looking from the sidelines was Siesta. A tear started to stream down her face. Her heart couldn't take watching this anymore.

"Saito", she says in a whisper.

Just as she was about to rush to his side, she felt a set of arms wrap around her waist and mouth. She stops dead in her tracks.

A female voice whispers in her ear.

"Now is not the time"

Siesta recognizes the voice as Agnes's and starts to relax.

"I know you care for him, but you are a peasant and he is a familiar. You will put yourself in jeopardy if you interfere. I don't like this either, but we must tread carefully. Help him tonight. I will do what I can too."

Siesta nods disappointingly in agreement.

A couple students noticed their interaction and walked away whispering to each other.

Tabitha grips her staff tightly shaking her head ever so slightly back and forth. If you looked into her eyes you could swear that you could see something burning inside.

Kirche gets a sad look in her eyes and tries to look to Tabitha for reassurance.

"Tabitha, can we talk later?"

She nods

Louise eventually stops her assault.

"I don't have time to deal with you anymore. I have to get back to training. Don't bother staying in my room tonight you dog!"

Saito slinks back against the wall as Louise walks away. His eyes still show no signs of life.

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Wow! Thanks for reading. I can't believe that my first chapter was that long. I can't wait to read your reviews (Hopefully good).

Don't worry! I am not planning on having Saito go through this through the whole story (maybe 2 or 3 chapters), but I wanted to add something that just wasn't really shown in the anime that I perceived could have happened.

Thanks again.

V1.1


	2. Chapter 2: Saving Saito

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews. I would also like to send thanks to PCHeintz72 for our discussions and Mythking18 for getting me to start reading manga. Hopefully, this chapter does not disappoint.

One must truly hit rock bottom before one can reach the top

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Two

Saving Saito

With Eleonore starting up her part of the day, Agnes has a chance to try and check on Saito. She comes around the corner and into the area where Louise had taken him. As she approaches, she takes notice of his state and she starts to get a little worried.

Saito was still sitting in the same spot he had slumped down into just a little bit ago like a large sack of potatoes. He was motionless and had his knees curled up to his chest. His eyes were dark and lifeless. The only thing to move was his hair whenever a slight breeze would come by.

'Damnit! What have you done Louise.'

Agnes recognizes this kind of look and it doesn't paint a pretty picture in her mind. She has come across this a handful of times because of her position.

'Why is it that you broke the one man that has seemed to have gotten my attention? Maybe I'm just paranoid. I will just go up to him and he will be just fine. Right?'

She starts a slow approach. Each step not putting any of her worries to rest as she gets closer. She notices the gash in his cheek and some blood that came down from the wound. She gets within a few feet of him.

"Saito?"She says in a mildly soft voice

*No response*

"Saito." She says, but this time a little more stern.

Saito opens his eyes and sits up within the grassy plains in his mind. 'Did I just hear something?'

'Shit.' Thinks Agnes.

"Saito." She says again. A little bit louder than the last.

*No response*

'There is that voice again.' He starts to look around in his head to find the source. 'That voice sounds familiar.'

'This is not good at all. I have to get him out of this. How can the person that has not only saved my life, but also Henrietta's, be reduced to this. He is better than this, and deserves better. This would break Henrietta's heart. I know she loves him, but this is personal for me too.'

Agnes is not exactly the motherly and loving type like Henrietta. So she tries the only thing that she could think of to try to snap him back into reality (Plus the fact that she is also very pissed at Louise right now). She leans over a little and grabs Saito by the front of his tunic.

" **Saito!"**

With the thump of a heartbeat, a ripple makes it's way through Saito's reality and gets his attention.

'Agnes.'

Life sweeps back into his eyes just to see Agnes's face in front of his. He jolts back and lifts his arms in the air in defense.

After seeing him bring his arms up, and possibly that she might have been a smidge rough about this, she lets go of him and backs up a foot.

"It's ok Saito. I am not going hurt you. You weren't responding to me when I was calling to you."

She looks away and starts to scratch the back of her head.

"Sorry." She gets a slight blush on her cheeks. She isn't used to apologizing, but she thought it was fair for what she did. She was glad she did it though.

Saito puts his hands down. He was thankful that she didn't do it because she was angry. He gets a little bit of sadness in his eyes, though, realizing that he is back in reality, but he decides to respond to Agnes in kind.

"It's ok."

Agnes tries to get a closer look at his cheek.

"How about you get that cheek taken care of?"

Saito remembers the gash on his cheek and quickly turns his head in shame so she can't see it.

"It's ok. I'll be fine. It's. . . just a scratch that I got."

Agnes knew better, but she decides not to try to push the matter further. She didn't want him to dart off.

"Very well."

Now that she got his attention, she didn't think ahead of what to do next. She didn't want to bring up the current issue in her mind. This situation does have to be handled soon though.

'Maybe some training to start would help.'

"We should do some training."

Saito looks up slightly from his position.

"Sorry. I just don't really feel like it right now." He looks back down again.

'Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! What else can I do to get him up?'

She looks a little to the side. She closes her eyes while she says her next sentence.

"I noticed you were watching the training earlier. Wouldn't you like to compare our stances and movements?" Her arms around her stomache.

'I can't believe I am doing this.'

A shock comes to Saito when he hears that she noticed him watching.

'I wonder how much she noticed?'

He still just doesn't really feel like anything today.

"I'm sorry Agnes, but I just want to sit here for now."

Agnes does a mental stumble and face plant.

'If he wasn't in the situation that he is in… I am trying hard to put myself out there for him. To reach him.'

One of her subordinates from the musketeer group approaches Agnes.

"Sorry to bother you, but we have a couple security issues that need to be looked at."

Agnes gets a T shaped tick of annoyance on her forehead.

'Dang it! Of all the rotten times duty has to take me away from personal matters.'

"Saito." She looks over at him. She slips back into her on-duty look.

He looks up at her.

"I have to go take care of this. So you are off the hook today, but tomorrow we ARE going to train together."

Saito simply says "OK" in agreement.

As she starts to walk away with the other musketeer, Agnes gives another look over her shoulder at Saito. She gets a slightly sorrowful look on her face as he slumps back down.

'I am going to have to get Henrietta involved in this. This might be too big for even for me to handle (let alone Siesta). Hopefully Siesta will have better luck than me with him later. Why did he have to be HER familiar? I have to save Saito.'

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Around dinner time Siesta went looking for Saito. She found out that he hadn't been around the dining hall with Louise for his scraps. So she made up a quick sandwich for him wrapped up in butcher paper. It wasn't much, but it was all that she had time enough to do with her busy schedule.

She still found him outside, propped up against a wall. It looks like he must have thankfully walked around a little bit to stretch his legs because he wasn't in the exact same spot that he was before.

She had a sad look on her face at first. She saw how gloomy he was.

'This is not my Saito.'

Especially after he saved her from count Mott's clutches, she has tried to do everything she could to not only be by his side, but also be a pillar of support for him. That reason alone is the very reason why she puts on a smile every time she sees him.

She puts on her happy face for him as she gets closer to him with the sandwich that she made.

"Saitooo!"

Just like it did for Agnes, Siesta's voice registers in Saito's head and he manages to look up. He still looks gloomy and glazed over though. At least she didn't have to try too hard though.

Siesta starts waving.

When she gets up to him she notices that the gash is still there and mentally she is cursing Louise out.

"Saito. I heard you weren't at dinner. So I made you a little sandwich so that you had something to eat." She was actually ecstatic on the inside from the thought of making food for him.

"Um. I am not actually very hungry, but thank . . "

Siesta didn't give him any more time to refute and she shoved the sandwich at him.

"Your welcome." She says with a smile on her face.

She goes to reach for his face to look at the gash in his cheek from the whip.

"How about we get that taken care of."

Saito jerks his head and turns it so that Siesta couldn't see it.

"No! It's nothing to worry about. It will be fine."

If Siesta wasn't in such a rush, then she would have tried a little harder.

"Alright Saito. Maybe later. I have to get back to work for now."

She closes her eyes and smiles at Saito as she turns around. When she turns around a tear strolls down her cheek and she crosses her hands together.

'Please! Agnes. Somebody. Anybody. Save Saito.'

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Shortly after Siesta left, Saito was sitting there by himself staring at the sandwich Siesta had given him.

'For some reason I am just not very hungry today. I just don't care.'

Somehow, amongst his solitude, Sylphid had managed to fly down and sit next to Saito. How a dragon (That's about 5 times as tall as a human when it is just sitting upright) could ever be that impossibly stealthy and light-footed will forever be unknown.

After a minute, it finally registers that a blue dragon is next to him. This startles him and he jumps to the side a little.

"Sylphid?"

She nods.

When he gets the confirmation the dragon was Sylphid, he calms down and slumps back down into his normal position.

'Maybe she would want the sandwich Siesta made. I am not hungry. So why waste it?'

He un-wraps it and holds it up to her.

She knew she probably shouldn't take it. Tabitha (after talking with Kirche) had explained the situation to her and wanted her to check up on him for a short while. That sandwich smelled sooooooooooo good though.

Sylphid motions with her head for him to eat it.

Saito shakes his head.

"I am not very hungry today. It's ok if you eat it."

Then he gives her a half hearted smile.

Excitedly. She takes it into her mouth and eats it, and then licks her mouth in content. Then she decides to nuzzle her head into his chest in appreciation.

Saito pets her head.

She stayed with him for a little while. She was trying really hard to make sure that it didn't look like she was observing, and watching over him. She was only right next to him. Staring at him, and then whenever he would turn his head in her direction, she would look away in any and all directions from him. If she were in her human form, she would probably be whistling as she did so. This would have actually been quite comical from a spectator's point of view.

Saito didn't really care that she was there. He thought that Sylphid's actions were a little odd, but he chalked it up to just plain curiosity. He probably would have been a little more interactive, but today was not that kind of day. He really just wanted to be left alone and away from everyone. He wasn't going to be rude though. He might have been depressed and out of it, but his nice personality still came through.

Eventually, Sylphid did leave him. She did nuzzle her hear into his chest again before she left.

'I hope big sis is able to save Saito.'

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Later that night.

Walking across the greens was Siesta. Well, walking wouldn't exactly be the right term. She was walking, but she had an extra giddy hop into her step as she was going to get Saito. She had a smile going from ear to ear.

'I get to take a bath again with Saito!'

She really wanted to help him feel a little better, and she remembered how much he loved being able to take that bath the last time. She also enjoyed it too. She enjoyed being able to converse with Saito like she did that night. If only she could do this every night with him.

This actually would have been quite a tough task to do by herself though. So she decided to get some help. She remembered what the head of the kitchen staff said when she asked him.

"Ha! Ha! Haaaaa! Anything for Our Sword!" He exclaimed with his hands on his hips and his chest heaving with every word he said.

She found Saito still in the same area as before leaning against the wall. He doesn't seem to be acknowledging her presence yet.

'I really hope he snaps out if this funk he is in. This would be so much more fun.'

She walks over by him, and makes sure that she has a smile on her face for him. She bends over and pops her head down in front of him.

"Saitoooooo."

'Siesta.'

He looks up at her.

"Come with me. I have a special surprise for you."

'I'm not in the mood for surprises today. I like her, but I just want to be left alone.'

He puts up his hand stop like sign.

"Sorry Siesta. I just want to be gahhhhh!"

Siesta was not going to let him turn her down. Mid sentence she grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. She then proceeds to walk away with him, holding his hand. She looks back to him with a warm smile on her face for him.

"I think you will thank me for this later."

She takes him to that quiet little corner where he had set up the make shift bath last time. It has already going. There was a place to hang the clothes and a bucket with a cleaning cloth and soap in it waiting for them.

He was actually surprised to see this.

"How?"

She quotes the head of the Kitchen staff.

"Anything for Our Sword!"

He face palms.

"Now take your clothes off and get in. I am not going to take no for an answer."

He waves his hands in front of him.

"Alright Siesta."

He goes behind the bath, takes his clothes off, and slowly gets in. The warms water makes him realize his aches and pains as he winces a little, but it then quickly goes away as the sensation becomes soothing. He slumps onto the edge of the bath and faces out towards the wall next to it.

Siesta grabs his clothes and hangs them.

Saito hears some rustling behind him and then the sound of someone getting in the bath. He turns his head to see Siesta getting in with him. She was trying to modestly cover her breasts with one of her hands (not that it helped too much considering their size).

He was Awe-struck by her beauty. All of that hard work she does has toned her body nicely. Every curve was accentuating her beautiful figure. The steam from the bath created even more allure to this scene. Saito was probably about to burst a blood vessel looking at her as she slowly slinked in.

{You shouldn't be staring at other women. Louise is the only one for you.}

Saito snaps out of his gaze and turns around.

"I should let you bathe." He then starts to get out of the bath when a hand grabs his shoulder.

"No. I didn't do all this just for me to bathe. I did it for you Saito, and I wanted to enjoy it with you. I really enjoyed the last time we shared the bath together."

{You shouldn't. Louise would be mad.}

Saito furrows his brow and scratches his forehead.

Siesta notices this.

"Are you ok Saito?"

"Sure."

'Why do these thoughts keep popping up? It's not like she does much of anything nice to me.'

{She is your master.}

He turns and slumps back onto the edge of the tub.

'What is going on in that head of yours Saito?'

Siesta notices all of the welt marks all over his body from today's events. She gets next to Saito and places her hands on his shoulders and then she proceeds to gently press herself into his back as a warm, comforting embrace. She leans her head onto his shoulder. She sheds a tear while her face is hidden from his view.

Saito knows Louise would be mad if she found him like this, but he didn't want to leave this feeling he is getting from Siesta's embrace.

'Louise would never do this.'

{But Louise is your master. She is your only one.}

Saito tries to ignore the voice this time. Siesta being there gave him something he needed.

Saito gets a very mild headache all of a sudden.

Siesta breaks away and gets the wash cloth. She starts to gently run the cloth along his back and shoulders. Saito closes his eyes as he remembers each lashing that Siesta grazes over with the rag. He also feels the comfort from her kind hands.

After a few minutes Siesta stops.

"Turn to me Saito."

He turns around.

"I am going to wash your face."

"No. I will . . do it later." He almost shuts down when he realized she wanted to wash where his gash is at.

"Saito. Please let me do this. Don't be ashamed to let me do this."

She inches closer to him, and puts one hand on his good cheek. He actually nuzzles into her hand and closes his eyes. She takes her other hand (with the cloth) and starts by dabbing at the wound. Eventually she was able to clean up the gash.

"Thank you." She says softly to him.

"Thank you."

The rest of the time actually went by kind of quietly. Siesta wanted to let Saito just enjoy a relaxing bath. She actually really wanted to talk to Saito about Louise, but she didn't want to ruin this little bit of tranquility. Perhaps tomorrow she can try to talk to him after she has a talk with Agnes.

He really enjoyed the nice bath. It relaxed him a lot. He stayed pretty quiet while he soaked in the bath. He listened to Siesta talk about her day and some of the funny things that the other staff did. It took his mind off of things for a little while.

Unfortunately, they had to get out at some point.

"I will have the head of staff help me take care of this tomorrow. It's late. So I should turn in. You are turning in too, right?"

"Yeah."

He didn't want to tell her that he didn't know where to sleep, because Louise told him not to stay in her room tonight. He didn't want to disobey Louise and get another lashing.

His headache seems to have subsided.

Siesta got herself together, and then she left after giving him a hug.

"I will see you tomorrow Saito."

"Yeah."

He feels a bit of sorrow come over him as she walks away.

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Without having anywhere else to go he decides to settle himself into a dark corner where he couldn't easily be seen by any night patrol that would walk by.

After sitting there a little while Derflinger pops out of his sheath.

"Hey partner. You should have seen if you could have slept in her room. You wouldn't be out here if you did."

"I can't bother her with my issues. I don't want to worry her. Plus Louise would get mad at me."

"She gets mad at you no matter what you do bro."

"I just couldn't do it. My problems are my problems."

He then leans his head against the cool brick of the building.

"Hey. Are you ok?"

"Yes. No. I don't know."

"I am kind of worried about you partner."

"I will be fine. Just leave me be for now."

"Very well."

Derf sinks back into his sheath.

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For the most of the night Saito spends his time fighting a losing battle in his head.

'Why am I out here?'

{Because your master told you not to stay in her room tonight.}

'Why should I listen to her?'

{She is you master and you love her.}

'And she doesn't whip me if I listen to her.'

{That's right.}

'If I do everything she says, then I get to eat and sleep in her room.'

{Yes.}

'I even feel good when I do things for her like dressing her and doing her laundry.'

{Why wouldn't you?}

'But Siesta isn't like that towards me. She treats me nice, and she always has a warm smile for me. Some of the others are pretty nice to me too. Like Tabitha, Henrietta, Kirche, and even Agnes. All I see from Louise is her angry face.'

'I guess that's because I am a bad dog. I shouldn't want to be around girls other than her.'

{That's right. If you didn't do that, then she wouldn't have to show her angry face.}

'This is wrong though. Isn't it? She shouldn't be treating me like this. I am human after all.'

{But you are also HER familiar.}

'I wouldn't want to be around other people if she was nicer to me.'

{This is how she is though, and you love that about her.}

After arguing all night like this within his own thoughts, and without any support, it seems like Saito lost his battle.

'Maybe that really is true. Maybe I really am at fault here. I am a bad dog. I shouldn't want to be around anyone else except her. She is right and I should be a better familiar. I will do what she says. I will just escape whenever I need to endure her punishments. Everything will be ok if I just be a good dog and listen.'

Saito finally closes his eyes to catch at least a little bit of sleep. His legs are curled up into his chest.

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Morning finally came to Harkeginia.

Students were starting to collect outside of their rooms including Tabitha and Kirche. It would have actually been a pretty prosperous morning had it not been for the slamming of a door. And the figure that did that slamming stormed past the fore mentioned duet.

Louise looked quite pissed. She also had very mild dark circles under her eyes

After she stormed by, Tabitha and Kirche looked at each other.

"If Saito isn't with her, then where is he?" Kirche looked at Tabitha with concern.

Tabitha looked at kirche straight in the eye and then briskly turned back to her room. After the initial shock of how quickly she moved, Kiche followed suit.

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"Where is he? Where is he? Where is that useless dog?"

She didn't find him right away, but she eventually found him. He was huddled up into the corner that he had spent most of the night at.

"Saito!"

He opens his blood shot eyes just to see Louise towering over him. Granted, the only reason why someone as short as her seemed towering was only because he was sitting and she was a raging inferno.

'Oh no. What did I do now.'

Saito was quite tired. He really didn't get much sleep.

"Why didn't you come back to my room last night?"

"You told me not to."

He might have been exhausted, but he was pretty sure that is exactly what she said.

"I might have said that, but there was still laundry to do, and you should have came back this morning to dress me."

{You will have to remember that for next time.}

"I'm sorry Louise."

"Sorry isn't good enough you useless dog. I am going to have to punish you."

Louise begins to get out her riding crop.

After hearing Louise say that he instantly shut down in expectancy. Life left his eyes once again as he went to his plains again where he could be at peace. He sat there motionless waiting for his whipping to begin.

Louise swung her hand in the air with the riding crop in it.

All of a sudden there was a gush of wind that blew. Louise shielded her eyes for a moment for the wind to pass. In the background you heard a thump and some footsteps were also heard.

*Smack*

That sound you could have sworn echoed for miles from it's origin. It was one that could not have even been seen coming. That sound came from Louise's face being smacked.

There is only one question left.

Who smacked Louise?

After the wind died, it was revealed to a very shocked Louise (with a nice rosy cheek) who the source was.

It was Tabitha.

"That is enough!"

This wasn't the typical stoic Tabitha that everyone is used to seeing. This time, she was very animated and angry.

Kirche (whom Tabitha dropped off by another building while flying on Sylphid) stood on-looking with shock and an open mouth.

Saito's autopilot checked over his body. He was looking for the smack to him that never came. After realizing that nothing happened to him, he looked up. Life starting to return to his eyes.

'Tabitha.?'

"What the hell was that for Tabitha?"

Louise's cluelessness further angered Tabitha even more as she furrows her brows.

"Enough Louise. Saito is coming with me."

"How dare you! Saito is mine! He is MY familiar! Come here Saito."

She point's down by her feet.

He shuts down again when he hears Louise call for him. Saito begins to get up when Tabitha uses a hand to temporarily push him back down so he wouldn't go to her.

"No."

What happens next is something else that no one would even think would happen, and something that most people would fear happening.

Tabitha begins yelling at Louise in an unleashed rant.

"How can you do this to Saito?! This is the man that has saved you on multiple occasions! This is the man that stood up against a noble to save Siesta from being raped and forced to work for a man that she didn't want to! This is the man that took on a squad of dragon knights when he could have gone home instead! This is the man that saved both Agnes and Henrietta, your childhood friend, from being stabbed! He personally stopped the water spirit at Lagdorian lake from flooding the world for a ring! He is the most selfless and heroic man that I have ever met! He has done all of these things, and THIS is how you treat him?! You treat him like a dog just because he is YOUR familiar. Think about what you are doing to him?! He should be treated like a knight! You don't deserve him you self-centered selfish BITCH!"

She turns around and begins to help Saito up.

Calmly, she tells Saito "Let's go".

Still kind of out of the situation he says "OK" to Tabitha's kind words towards him.

Even after losing much of her fire during Tabitha's rant, she tries her luck one more time to refute against Tabitha taking off with HER familiar.

"But. ."

That was the last straw.

Tabitha snaps her head back towards Louise and gives her final peace, yelling again.

"Don't you dare try to stop me! I AM going to borrow him for a while! If you don't like it, then you can fight me!"

Tabitha gave Louise a look that said "I dare You".

Louise didn't utter another word. She knew that Tabitha was one of the strongest mages at the school. Louise the zero gave in.

After a moment of silence, Tabitha took off with Saito on Sylphid.

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Wow! That was a lot longer than I expected this to be.

I wanted to give a couple characters a little more depth, and I hope to give some other characters a little more depth too.

XXXX Spoiler XXXX

Next chapter Saito gets rid of his bond to Louise.

XXXX End Spoiler XXXX

Thanks for sticking through this and I hope you keep reading. I can't wait to get the next chapter started.

V1.1


	3. Chapter 3: The Price Of Freedom

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Awesome news* My story has had over 1100 views as of the release of this chapter – Thank you everyone

We get to see interaction with some of the other characters from the series in this chapter.

"You are free to sever the chains of fate that bind you"

Legend of dragoon

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Three

The Price Of Freedom

After leaving Louise, Tabitha had Sylphid take them back to her room. She had told Saito that he could sit on her bed. She began pacing back and forth though.

She was pacing because she was still trying to settle down from her blowup. She was upset because she lost her cool. She has not gotten worked up like that in a long time. There was also some worry in her mind about what could become of her slapping Louise.

After a couple moments of this she plopped down into her desk chair, closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths.

During this time frame Saito was not only watching her but everything that had just happened was finally registering in his brain as he grasps his surroundings.

"Tabitha?"

She opens her eyes and looks at Saito.

'I did what I did. I can't take it back, and I wouldn't even I could. I just wish I wouldn't have lost my cool.'

"Yes?"

{You should be angry at her. She struck your master.}

"Why did you do that?"

'Did he really just ask me that?'

"Many reasons." She starts to slip back into her usual mannerisms as she starts to regain her composure again.

{There is no good reason why she would do that. Louise is precious to you and no one should strike her.}

Saito shakes his head vigorously. He then looks at his hands.

'This is soo confusing. Louise treats me terribly. Why am I caring so much about this.'

{You love her. You should go back to her and comfort her.}

Saito shakes his head again.

'I have to find out.'

Saito starts to get a slight headache.

Saito looks over to Tabitha again.

"Please tell me Tabitha. I know that you aren't a huge conversationalist, but everything is so confusing right now. I am having so many conflicting thoughts that it's ridiculous."

He slumps over, resting his arms on his legs while he holds his head.

"Please talk to me."

You could hear the distress in his voice.

"Very well Saito. Just . . . stay calm."

Saito sighs to release some stress before she goes on.

"First. . .I owed you."

He turns his head from his hands for a moment.

"Huh?"

"Lagdorian Lake." She states plainly.

"You said you owed me, but you have also helped me out a lot since then."

"Didn't fight the spirit because of you. Saved me. Also didn't flood the world because of you."

"I didn't really think of it that way."

She nods.

"What is another reason?"

"Treats you terribly. Whips you over everything, including things you can't even control. Got tired of seeing it. You ARE human."

'I would have treated him better than she does if he were mine.

{Don't let her fool you. Your master is fair.}

"But I am not only a peasant, but I am also her familiar."

"Doesn't mean she should just do that whenever she felt like it. You've done too many good deeds. You are not just some mere peasant."

"Good deeds? I've only done what I felt was right."

"Then why does she make you out to be so terrible if what you do is right?"

He looks away and down. He knows he can't answer that question.

"You've saved countless lives Saito. Don't you think that should be a little more rewarding than being called a 'DOG' and whipped."

'I can't stand hearing her call him that.'

". . . "

'Perhaps she's right about that. I just don't think of it like that.'

"You are the bravest man I know."

'That's considering most men I've come across along all of my travels are either cowards, or do things for the wrong reasons.'

"You're honest and trustworthy."

'Not like most of the two faced nobles that I have come across. I could trust you, Saito, with my life. '

"Besides, you. . ." She starts to say.

'I. . .' She thinks to herself.

"Are genuinely. . ."

'Like you.'

"Nice."

'I feel at ease when I am with you.' She admits to herself.

He scratches the back of his head. He really doesn't know how to take compliments (especially after everything Louise has done to him). It makes him feel good though.

"You give me too much credit."

"It's true."

He gets a little blush on his face. She also gets one.

"You also fed Sylphid."

"I couldn't let a perfectly good sandwich that Siesta made go to waste. It looked like Sylphid could also tell that it must have been a good sandwich too."

"So that is why you stuck your neck out for me."

She nods.

"You're not a useless dog. More men need to be like you."

He scratches his head again in response. He really doesn't know how to handle all of her compliments.

{Her words are empty. You should go back to Louise.}

'But She IS terrible towards me."

Saito grits his teeth, furrows his brow and grabs his face with one of his hands.

"Saito?"

"It's nothing. Maybe it's not. I don't know."

He looks over to Tabitha and continues.

"You might think this is weird. I understand what you are saying, and I agree with you about the way she treats me now that you have brought it more to my attention. For some reason though, I feel like I should go back to her. It's like some kind of weird attraction towards her. Like just now, I felt the need to go back to her and apologize to her, to accept her and her ways, and to accept everything she does to me. I sometimes feel restless when I am not with her. I sometimes think about how I don't like her, but then another voice in my head compels me otherwise. It tells me how much I love her and how much I should be by the side of my master."

He bows his head again and shoves his face in his hands.

Tabitha listened to Saito's explanation, and there was something that struck at her with what he said. It actually made her a little annoyed that she didn't think of it sooner. There was one word that made her realize something that might be going on. The word that he uttered was 'master'.

"Saito."

While still looking down, he responds.

"Yeah?"

"Could it be. . . . the bond?"

Saito slowly looks up from his hands again to look at Tabitha.

He starts to process her last remark.

He remembered how Kirche told him how her familiar wasn't going to act like a wild beast because he would obey her orders.

'What made all of these creatures obey their masters when they normally wouldn't in a standard setting?'

It only made sense to him that something had to be manipulating them to listen and obey. If the bond's persuasion took the disguise of your own voice in the back of your head, then it could easily fool you into doing whatever your master asks. It could also make you think that you love your master.

After coming to this realization, the look on Saito's face changed from shock to horror and anger.

Saito ruffles his hair.

"Gahhhhhhhhhh!"

He shoots up and starts pacing back and forth.

"So you mean to tell me that on top of the abuse that Louise was giving me, that I have a voice in the back of my head manipulating me?"

Saito isn't yelling, but the tone in his voice certainly has been raised.

He doesn't even bother waiting for Tabitha's response.

"All of the whippings. . . All of the berating comments. . . Being treated like a dog. . . I dealt with all of this because I thought I was in the wrong. I slept on hay and even had to skip meals because I 'DESERVED' it. 'Deal with it', 'It's ok', 'This is how she is', and 'You love her' is all I kept hearing. I stayed up all night thinking that I was having an argument with myself, but here it was because of a damn voice in my head. I was probably already having enough confusion and conflicting thoughts because of Louise's abuse, but then I was fighting a war with influence of the bond too."

Saito slams his fists onto the wall.

Tabitha has sat pretty quiet this whole time, but she is pretty worried about Saito's mental state. If things continue like this, then who knows what is going to happen to him.

{This isn't true, and you know it.}

Saito shakes his head vigorously.

"Gahhhhhhhh!"

Saito's headache intensifies a little more.

Saito also comes to another conclusion from all of this mess, and he hopes that he is wrong.

"I have to take care of this NOW!"

He was extremely tired and his eyes were slightly red. His body wanted to do nothing else but go to sleep, but he needed to get this over with. He removes his hands from the wall, opens Tabitha's door, and heads out of the room at an aggravated pace. He heads for the one person that he feels could possibly help him.

Tabitha quickly grabs her staff and follows after Saito.

'I don't know where he is going, or what he is going to do, but I can't let him face this alone.'

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Saito storms out of the dorms and across the greens. Tabitha has a hard time keeping up with his invigorated pace.

His headache starts to intensify as they travel along.

"Saito!"

Saito stops and turns around. You could see the rage on his face and the fire in his eyes.

"What?!"

". . ."

After a couple seconds he realizes his attitude sets himself back a little.

"Sorry Tabitha. I didn't mean to snap at you. I am just very angry."

"I know. Please calm down. Anger makes rash decisions."

'I should know. I was like that for a while after things happened.'

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in and out in an attempt to calm down a little more.

She nods at him.

"Where are we going?"

"Colbert."

She nods again.

"Please slow down a little. You're too fast."

Saito turns around and continues on his trek, but a little slower so Tabitha could comfortably keep up.

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They make it to a small building where Colbert does his research and experiments.

Instead of barging in, Saito looks back at Tabitha and then decides to knock.

*knock, knock, knock*

"You may come in."

They go inside to see books and scrolls littering his lab. Colbert was leaning over a table. A light was shining off the top of his bald head with hair at the sides. He was wearing his typical navy robe with a white stripe down the center. He stands straight up, takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes a little.

"Hello Saito. Tabitha. It's good to see the both of you. What can I do for you two?"

"Did we interrupt you?"Saito says caringly.

"I was just doing some interesting research, but it's ok."

"Has anyone ever let go or got rid of their familiar?"

"It's funny that you mention that Saito. Agnes came here really early this morning with a letter from the queen asking me about the very same thing."

Tabitha and Saito look at each other with a look of surprise.

Colbert continues on.

"The problem is that it seems that you cannot simply just 'get rid of' a familiar. You could drop a familiar off in the middle nowhere, many miles away, and the familiar would still find it's way back to it's master. The master could even tell the familiar that he/she is free to go, but the familiar has always come back."

Saito remembered how Guiche's familiar was able to find him when they had left him behind.

Colbert wasn't even thinking how this question could be relating to Saito himself. He didn't particularly like the way Louise treated him either, but it did cross his mind that Saito would want to break his bond with her.

"It took a little while, but I was actually able to come across an interesting spell."

He walks around a big table in the room and picks up some papers.

"Apparently there is a spell that can reset the familiar process causing the bond to disappear."

"Do you know why was it developed?" Saito wondered.

"There are a couple instances of it's use. One was a sickly mage who had become bedridden from a disease. There was also an instance of a mage that was also a researcher who used it on his own familiar. Interestingly enough, there was no known reason why he did it though. He was a researcher here in Tristan. He virtually disappeared off the face of the map after he had used the spell on his familiar. He did so with all of his research. I guess he said that no one would believe his research."

"That is interesting. I wonder what he found in his research."

"I wonder the same thing. I would love to go over his notes."

"How does the spell work?"

"This is another interesting thing. Since the spell was initially designed for a bedridden and weak mage, the spell can actually be cast by any mage. It supposedly brings up a contract, and then the familiar's mage uses his/her wand to sign the contract to finish the spell. The mage can only do this willingly though. It cannot be done forcefully. The spell only has a short duration before it becomes null and it has to be done again. It would be interesting to witness this."

'This could be my golden opportunity. Louise wouldn't even have to cast the spell. All she has to do is sign it.'

{You should not want to leave your master.}

"If it only has a short duration, then maybe you could test it on me. You could see if it works and then it would go away. Right?"

Colbert puts his hand to his chin.

"I suppose I could. Without the signature it would just go way, and I could write down everything I see."

Saito looks back to Tabitha with a smile. Tabitha goes wide eyed with realization of what he is up to.

Colbert picks up his staff (which looks more like a bat than a staff or a wand) and points it at Saito. He starts incanting the spell.

"Contractu de famulus. . . "

Saito's chest begins to glow.

"aperio. . ."

Particles of light begin to emerge from the glow.

"Fio. . ."

The particles begin to collect again about 2 feet away from Saito.

"novus."

At the finish of the spell, the particles manifest into a large sheet of paper. It was brown and rounded at the top and bottom as if was rolled up like an ancient scroll.

Everyone's eyes open in amazement.

"This is amazing!" Exclaimed Colbert.

Saito looks at Colbert.

"So all I would have to do is have Louise sign this with her wand if I wanted her to release me. Right?"

"Well. Yes."

With that last statement, Saito snatches the contract and takes off out of the lab. Tabitha runs after him.

"Thank you Colbert."

Colbert snaps his head to the door as Saito leaves.

"Oh my. Saito wanted that used on him the whole time and it didn't even dawn on me. I have to follow them."

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While trying to find Louise.

{You don't want to leave Louise.}

'Yes I do.'

{You shouldn't do this. Louise is your master.}

'I don't want to do this anymore.'

{There are consequences for trying to leave your master.}

Saito's headache intensifies immensely.

Saito stops in his tracks and grabs his head.

"Saito?" Tabitha asks.

"I had a bad feeling about his."

"I didn't realize it until a little bit ago, but the bond also causes pain and pleasure. I got sensation of pleasure when I did things for Louise, and now it is giving me a headache because I am trying to leave her."

"This is bad."

Saito continues on.

"I've gone this far. I am not going back."

{Are you sure you really want to do this?}

They see Louise in the distance. It looks like she is impatiently waiting for someone.

"There she is. I can get this over with."

{You will become weak if you try to leave her.}

As he approaches her, he feels as if the energy has just been drained from his body and he becomes pale.

Louise sees them coming and glares over in their direction.

"I am glad you two are here. My sisters are coming."

She crosses her arms.

Tabitha doesn't say anything in response.

'I hope Saito doesn't back down now.'

{Isn't it getting harder to hold yourself together?}

He starts to sweat from exertion.

{It will go away if you stop.}

'No!'

"Louise. I can't stand the way you have been treating me. The whippings need to stop."

He unrolls the contract. It floats in front of her.

"What is this?"

Colbert arrives where the trio is at. Shock in his eyes.

Tabitha just stands stoically while she watches everything play out.

"It is my contract with you. If you sign it, then my bond to you will be gone."

{Your world is spiraling around you.}

"Did you put him up to this Tabitha?"

She glares at Tabitha.

Tabitha looks at her blankly and shakes her head no.

"His idea." Tabitha says as she points to Saito.

Louise looks back to Saito.

Saito gets light-headed and starts to stumble around. He falls to one knee.

Tabitha goes to help him, but he whips his hand back and motions her not to.

"This is my fight."

In the distance, Louise's sisters Eleonore and Cattleya approach the now quartet. Eleonore had on her white shirt with a purple ribbon and her long dark purple skirt. Her long blond hair flowed all the way down to her butt. Her pointed glasses gave her face a very nice accentuation. She would actually be an extremely beautiful woman if it wasn't for her anger issues. Cattleya also had a white top on, but it was longer than Eleonore's and it was very frilly down the front. Her skirt matched Eleonore's skirt. She had long hair that was pink like Louise's. She has a very motherly look to her.

He looks to Louise.

"I can't take this anymore Louise. I am tired of your whippings, your berating comments, sleeping on the hay, going without food, treating me like a dog, and making me feel like I am always the one wrong. This All needs to stop. I can't stand feeling like this. I can't stand the voice I keep hearing in my head from the bond. It tells me to do things I don't want to do. . ."

He starts getting a high pitch ringing in his ears.

Saito grabs his ears.

"Argggg."

Louise starts to look a little concerned at his condition.

"It tells me to love you, to be by your side, and do everything you say no matter what you do to me. It's driving me nuts. What you are doing to me is wrong Louise. Do you even like me?"

{Don't say it.}

"Louise, I don't. . "

{You can't.}

Saito holds back a vomiting sensation.

"I don't. . "

He holds it back again.

{You will erupt.}

"I don't want to be your familiar anymore!"

Saito starts vomiting and coughing.

Louise and her sisters look in horror and disgust.

Louise also looks over to Tabitha (Who isn't really sure what to do right now herself).

"The bond is doing this to him because he wants to leave you."

Saito wraps his arms around his stomach from pain.

"If I mean anything to you Louise, then you will let me go."

He managed to get that out between his vomiting.

Louise hesitates for a moment while she thinks about her decision. She didn't want to let him go, but he could die if this keeps up. His fate was in her hands. She lifts up her wand and signs the paper.

At the very moment the paper is finished being signed, it starts floating toward Saito. He stops vomiting. It enlarges to Saito's size as it keeps floating toward him. When it reaches him, it fades away as though it were absorbed by Saito. Saito's hand starts burning. He then reaches for his wrist. You could see the smoke coming from the runes on his hand. Particles float up from the runes on his hand as if they were being ripped off of his hand. He starts screaming out from the pain and burning. A flash of light engulfs the immediate area as the last rune dissipates. Saito collapses over from the ordeal.

Saito was a heaping mess.

Colbert rushed by his side to check to see if he was still alive.

He was alive, but unconscious.

Agnes and Henrietta come running from the side with a few other members of the musketeer squad. Henrietta had just arrived to the academy. Agnes had left last night to talk with her, and then came back early this morning to not only deliver a letter, but also prepare for her arrival. You could tell Agnes was tired. Henrietta was barely within the walls of the academy when she and Agnes heard Saito's screams. Henrietta was in her usual white dress with a purple cloak. Her purple hair was as regal as ever.

Everyone gave a respective bow to the queen.

Kirche and Siesta (separately) had also heard the screams and popped out to see what had happened. Siesta stayed back when she noticed everyone that was over there. Kirche made a little bit more of an approach. She wanted to be nearby for Tabitha's (and Saito's) sake.

"What happened here?" Urged Henrietta.

Tabitha decided to chime in first.

"Saito was tired of Louise and tired of the bond telling him to do things. The bond resisted, but Saito is no longer bonded to her due to a spell."

Henrietta looks on in shock.

"Is he alive?"

Colbert adds, "He is. He passed out from the ordeal".

'Did he already use the spell?' Henrietta thinks to herself.

She then looks over to Tabitha. A look is exchanged between the two. It could only be described as a silent communication between the two. They realized that they both were somehow involved in separate plans to help Saito.

Eleonore crosses her arms.

"I am glad you are here. My sisters and I have urgent business to discuss with you regarding these three." She motions over to Louise, Saito, and Tabitha.

You could see more students starting to gather from the commotion that was by not only Saito, but also the queen's presence.

Principal Osmond walks up to the group. He is wearing a full black robe with it's hood down. The long, white hair from his beard and mustache stretches down to his stomach. He also bows down to show his respect for the queen.

"Welcome your highness."

"Please pardon my abrupt intrusion this morning Principal Osmond."

"No pardon is necessary your highness. May I suggest that we continue the conversation in my office? I know of the incident and I do not think it would be wise to discuss this in front of such a crowd."

"I could not agree more, but we first need to figure out what to do with Saito for the moment."

Tabitha speaks up again.

"I humbly request that he may be taken to my room unless you deem otherwise. He's no longer a familiar and is just a peasant."

She hated to say that he was a mere peasant, but that would be his classification at this point.

"Your highness."

"Yes Agnes."

Agnes comes over to Henrietta and whispers in her ear.

'Perfect idea.'

"Miss Orleans, would you be offended if I had Siesta assist with Saito in your room."

She simply nods.

Louise glares at Tabitha, but doesn't say anything.

Henrietta looks over to an on-looking Siesta and motions for her to come over. She comes over rather quickly being that it is not only the queen calling her over, but because it involves Saito. She then bows.

"You will assist with taking Saito to Miss Orleans' room. You will watch over his condition 'til he seems well, he will also need to be cleaned up."

"Yes your majesty."

Tabitha chimes in, "Put him in my bed".

Kirche walks up to the group at this point and also bows to Henrietta.

"May I also assist?"

With a confirming nod from Tabitha, Henrietta also nods to Kirche.

After that, Henrietta, Osmond, The Valliere sisters, Colbert and Tabitha head to Osmond's office with Agnes and the other musketeer members following suit.

Siesta was going to try to lift Saito up, but Kirche motions for her to stop.

"Let's make this a little easier for us."

She casts a levitation spell on Saito and they quickly head to Tabitha's room

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Everything, starting from the incident between Tabitha and Louise to the current point, had just been explained to Henrietta by all parties involved.

Henrietta was taking a moment to soak all of this information in. She was definitely grateful (in some ways) that Tabitha helped Saito, but she put Henrietta in a difficult situation with the Valliere Family. Luckily, it seems like the sisters wish to handle this themselves at the moment.

Eleonore seems to be the one pushing the situation. Louise is upset too, but she is also in some confusion after seeing Saito's condition and hearing about the voice.

Cattleya just seems sad by the whole situation. Cattleya had hoped things would have worked out for Louise and Saito, but she understands the situation after hearing about Saito. She also understands how her other two sisters get. She doesn't voice this opinion though.

"We demand justice for what Miss Orleans did to Louise." Eleonore's voice came barreling through.

She really just wanted to tell them all off. A hero of the country is being treated like a dog and piece of property. Why can't everyone just get past his status? Unfortunately, the only way to communicate with most of the Valliere family is through political and social references

'This is so frustrating!'

"Miss Valliere, I agree that Miss Orleans was in the wrong for taking off with Louise's familiar. She had no right to do so. That is something against one of the very few CURRENT laws regarding familiars, but the laws need to be changed in light of recent information. I am fully aware of the treatment your sister, Louise, has been giving Saito, and I do not approve of it. He was her familiar and there are no laws about the treatment of familiars. But, he IS also a human being. Before him, there was no precedent for this kind of scenario, and there was no available research regarding how the bond affects the mind of the familiar."

Eleonore looks pretty angry still, but she listens intently without interrupting the queen.

"You are welcome to pursue this point further if you like, but personally, I advise against it. Pursuing this would not only bring up the treatment of all familiars, but also specifically Louise's treatment of Saito. The Valliere family might have stern punishment, but your family is not known for extreme punishment. I know that your father, Duke Valliere, would rather not have any scandals or bad publicity involving his family. He would also be especially displeased if it all stemmed from Saito, a man that your father strongly disliked and disapproved of to begin with. I would rather save Louise and your family name from any shame or public ridicule. I say this not just for political and social stability, but also because I am Louise's childhood friend."

Eleonore gives a good stern look towards Louise. She was definitely thinking about her answer. Henrietta's words held a lot of truth. She didn't think that their father would be very happy if their family had any kind of negative attention from the public. He is a very proud man. She also knew how much her father hated Saito and the fact that he was Louise's familiar.

Louise knew this too. She was practically in tears over this. She didn't want to give her father anything more to be angry with her over.

Eleonore looked to her other sisters for their input. She might have been the eldest daughter, but she still wanted their input. Louise practically croaks out "let's drop it". Cattleya, after seeing Louise, simply nods with her approval as well.

"Very well. We agree not to push that any further, but that still does not cover the fact that Tabitha struck Louise. One does not just simply strike a Valliere and get away with it."

Tabitha stands there in her usual stoic manner. She is worried, but she will take full responsibility for what she did.

'I was really hoping that would have slipped by too', thought the queen.

Nobody, except the Vallieres, wanted anything bad to happen to Tabitha.

Osmond spoke up this time, after stroking his long white beard.

"If I may suggest, your majesty. What if we quarantined her to her room for the next five days? Her meals could be brought to her so that she doesn't even leave for that. We could also have someone feed her familiar for her."

Colbert thought that was actually a pretty smooth idea.

Again, Eleonore looks to the other sisters for their input.

Louise wasn't sure what to say. She was angry at Tabitha, but they were classmates. They did also work together a handful of times to take care of common foes. She just sat there silent.

Cattleya did have a little bit of insight on this though.

"Our father would probably want more in retribution, but this matter is also something we should be wary of pushing too far because it stems off from the same issue."

Louise nodded her head in agreement.

"We can agree to that punishment, but I wish there to be one more stipulation."

Henrietta looks to Eleonore for her answer.

"And that would be?"

"That she is also forbidden to use magic for that time frame."

"Well Miss Orleans, do you agree to these terms?"

"Agreed."

Tabitha was actually quite grateful for Henrietta's and Osmond's thoughtful intervention. This could have gotten quite messy for her if it was pushed. But she was also happy for Saito. What she has to go through for the next five days is nothing compared to what he went through.

"If you may excuse us your majesty. Let's go Louise."

With a nod from Henrietta, Eleonore and her sisters left. Cattleya gave a polite bow to everyone before she left.

After Colbert was excused, he went straight to his lab to write everything down that he witnessed before he could forget.

Tabitha looks to Henrietta and Osmond.

"Thank you."

Henrietta smiles and nods to her.

"Agnes!"

She walks into the room

"Yes my queen."

"Please escort Tabitha to her room. She is to be quarantined there for the next five days. She is also forbidden to use her magic. Be sure to check on Saito's condition while you are there."

Tabitha left with Agnes at that point. There was only one thing on her mind as they walked away.

'What is going to happen to Saito now?'

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 **AN:** Thanks for reading another chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.

Saito finally got free from his bond with Louise. I chose to break the bond the way I did because I wanted to do something different from what other people have done, but still be believable. Hopefully it went well.

Until next time dear readers

V1.1


	4. Chapter 4: A Visit With The Queen

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

I have been averaging about 2 weeks between chapters, but I saw that this chapter was getting a little big, so I decided to release this part early and make it a chapter of it's own. I hope you enjoy the early release.

What will you do now that you are free? I don't know. I guess I will see what the wind blows my way.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Four

A Visit With The Queen

Saito starts to come to. His body aches and his eyes are heavy as he slowly opens them.

"Ughhhh."

As he tries to sit up someone walks over, sits on the bed, and helps him.

"Good afternoon Saito", Siesta says comfortingly while she smiles at him.

He was happy to hear her voice.

As he sits up, not only does he not recognize the bedding, but he realizes he is not in his blue tunic anymore.

'Oh my god!'

He quickly looks himself over.

Siesta sees him doing this and giggles slightly.

"Saito, you had to be changed." Siesta says between giggles.

"But… But…"

"No buts. You were a mess."

Saito was still wearing his jeans, but he had on a white, long sleeve period looking shirt.

It finally came back to him what had happened this morning.

He looks at his hand.

"They're gone." Tabitha's voice came from the side.

He looks over.

She was sitting quietly over at her desk.

"Is this your room?"

She nods.

"Hey partner! I thought we almost lost you."

"Derflinger? But how? I thought I would have lost you after the runes were gone."

"I am a magical sword, and you awoke me. I am here for the Gandalfr, and you were originally summoned as the Gandalfr. That is all that matters to me. I will be with you until the next one comes around."

"Thanks Derf."

"I am sorry you had to go through that bro. I didn't realize that the bond was having that effect on you. I had never been with anyone who had the relationship like you did with Louise. So I just didn't know."

"It's ok Derf. I am glad you are still here with me."

*Knock, knock, knock*

Siesta opens the door after receiving a nod from Tabitha. Kirche is standing in the doorway. She had stepped back out for a while Saito was out.

"I thought I heard voices." Kirche says as she walks through the door.

She walks over and gives Saito a hug.

"I didn't mean for Louise to treat you like that just because of me hugging you. I just get soo happy when I am around you. But I almost thought about changing my name when I saw Tabitha this morning defending you from Louise. I had never seen her get that fired up for anybody before."

She gives a sly, seductive look to Tabitha. Indicating to Tabitha that she knew she had a thing for Saito.

Tabitha looks away and blushes.

"Really? Wow!" He scratches the back of his head.

"Oh. And don't worry. Siesta and I didn't see too much when we brought you in here."

Saito gets red.

Siesta and Kirche giggle.

Siesta stops giggling to ask her question.

"So what exactly happened? I feel so left out. I was busy doing my duties when I heard you scream all of a sudden, and when I came over, you were on the ground with everyone around you."

Saito's stomach grumbles. He just realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.

"I guess you can answer the question after you eat. Here is some food." Siesta says as she grabs a plate of food.

She puts a plate of food on the table next to where Tabitha is sitting.

He looks to Tabitha questioningly. He isn't used to this kind of treatment.

"Is this really ok?"

She smiles and nods.

"You need to eat. You shouldn't go hungry." Tabitha adds.

"Thank you Tabitha."

He explains everything he recalls between bites. Siesta was in complete shock. She couldn't believe everything that happened. She is grateful though. She was grateful that Saito was no longer attached to Louise.

Kirche was also surprised about how he had gotten rid of the bond, and how he took a stance to Louise. Kirche had talked to Tabitha about Saito, and how she didn't feel that what Louise was doing was right. She didn't think that Tabitha would do everything that she did.

'I guess since she did help him (and she seems to be attracted to him), that I will not get in their way. I like Saito, but Tabitha is also my best friend here. ' Kirche thinks to herself.

She gives Saito another hug.

"I am so glad you are ok Saito."

"Thanks Kirche, and thank you for taking care of me."

Just before leaving, Kirche whispers in Tabitha's ear.

"Go get him tiger."

Tabitha blushes again.

"I must be going for now. I'll see you later." Kirche waves off everyone as she heads for the door.

Siesta waves her off.

Moments later you hear another knock at the door.

"Too many visitors" was all that Tabitha said as she gave another nod to Siesta.

Siesta opens the door to see Agnes and Henrietta.

She gives a bow to the queen.

"Henrietta?" Saito says in a slightly surprised tone.

She gives a smile over to Saito, and a nod to Tabitha. She was kind of shocked to see Saito in a new shirt. They walk in. Agnes closes the door behind them.

"Are you feeling better?"

'I wish I could go over and give him a huge hug, but I can't break my character too much in front of the others. I hate this." Henrietta thinks to herself.

He scratches the back of his head.

"Yeah. I just ache a little."

"I am glad to see that you are doing better, and that shirt looks nice on you." Henrietta adds.

"Thanks." He blushes a little.

"If it is ok with you and Tabitha, I would like you to assist her. She has been confined to this room and forbidden to use magic for the next five days because of her actions toward Louise this morning. Even her meals are to be eaten here. I figured you would be the best choice to help her out considering what she did for you. "

She looks over to Tabitha, who gives a nod and a smile.

Saito looks over to Tabitha in shock.

"You got into trouble for helping me?"

"I knew what I was getting into."

"But Tabitha, I wouldn't want you getting into so much trouble just for my sake."

"Saito, she took it all gracefully, and I think that both she and I can agree that it was worth it." Henrietta states to Saito.

Tabitha looks over to Henrietta with an inquisitive eye.

'Does she have an interest in Saito too? She did have Colbert look for that spell. Saito has a lot of people that like him.'

"Is that really all that the Valliere's settled for?" Saito asks them.

"Well, let's just say that I advised them how it would be in their best interest if they didn't push the issue too far." The queen gives a smile while she says this.

"Wow! You really did that?"

Agnes was also happy about this.

'I am glad those Valliere nobles didn't draw this out. It would have made all of our efforts bitter sweet.'

Siesta was just listening in shock. She couldn't believe everything she has heard today.

Henrietta had more thoughts of her own.

'I wish I could have gotten to Saito before she did. Did she figure out what I was planning? Maybe this could be a good thing though. It could put us on a more equal ground, knowing that we were both trying to help him out. Maybe, by helping her with the Valliere family, she will be more willing to hear me out.'

"So, would you be ok if Saito helped out during your confinement?" Henrietta asks Tabitha.

Tabitha smiles, and nods.

"Yes".

"Saito. I am not asking you to be her servant, but would you be willing to assist her?"

"I can't think of a better way to show my gratitude. Helping her is the least I could do."

"This means that he will be coming to see you a little more often for Tabitha's meals Siesta."

She gives a sly look at Siesta, whom gives a rapid nod as she gives both Henrietta and Agnes a smile.

"Very well. You may go now Siesta and get back to your duties."

She starts to gather the trays from lunch.

"If he has nowhere else to go, may he stay here?"

Tabitha says this kind of sheepishly while she turns her head away with a mild blush.

Siesta pauses for a brief moment.

'Oh no! I loose Louise as a rival just to get another. It's just not fair!'

Henrietta stares at Tabitha for a moment.

'I would love to just have him with me, but this might be better for now considering he is going to be helping her.'

"That would be fine with me as long as if it is fine with him until further arrangements are made. He has some big decisions to make now that he isn't Louise's familiar."

He nods with agreement.

"I guess you are right, but do you really want me staying here with you Tabitha? Wouldn't I be intruding in on your space?"

She shakes her head.

"It's ok with me, and you are safe here."

"Saito. Would you mind coming for a walk with me. We have some things to discuss, and I do believe that you owe Agnes some training time too."

She looks to Tabitha.

"I will make sure he is back in time for dinner."

She nods.

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Along their walk Henrietta and Saito converse with each other while Agnes stays within a short distance away as escort. Henrietta keeps some distance too since they are out in the open. Their conversation is kept at a tone where it is still just personal. This is one of those times where she despises her position.

'I am definitely going to have to change this. I want to be with Saito.'

"So Saito, what will you do now that you are free?"

"I don't know. I guess I will see what the wind blows my way."

He looks up and over in Tabitha's general direction and smiles.

"Would you consider training with Agnes?"

"Well right now that is the only thing I am good at other than washing clothes."

"Well washing clothes would certainly not do. I don't want you staying in the position you're in. You have done so much for everyone around you. I don't like to see you looked down upon. You deserve better than that Saito."

"I don't know about all of that. I just try to protect the people I care about."

"I DO know. You are a hero and people don't realize that because everyone can't see past their social class."

They make their way to a more private room so they could really talk, but this was not before a certain pink haired girl noticed their trek outside.

'I am going to have to have a talk with the queen.'

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Agnes stands guard outside while Henrietta and Saito continue their conversation.

Henrietta and Saito end up on a very royal looking couch and since they are actually alone, Henrietta positions herself a little closer to Saito. Saito notices her attitude change from when they were out in the open.

"So I have to ask bluntly. Did you have Colbert look up that spell with me in mind?"

'That was very blunt.'

"Yes I did."

"Why?"

"Agnes had informed me of information concerning you and Louise. I became really worried about you. I love Louise because she is my childhood friend, but the way she treated you upset me greatly. I couldn't stand it any longer."

This came as a pretty big shock to him.

Henrietta places a hand gently on his.

"You were not alone Saito. People suffered while you suffered. You have a lot more people than you know of that care about you. I think it is quite obvious that Tabitha must have been one of those people too. Whether we knew it or not, we were all working together for you Saito."

Saito doesn't cry, but he starts to tear up.

"I thought I was alone. I thought I had to deal with it all by myself. Thank you Henrietta."

They embrace in a hug for a moment.

"That brings me to my next topic. I want to help you out even more Saito. I just can't do too much at a time without being noticed. Right now, as much as I hate to say it, you are just a mere commoner. I want you in a position where you are not looked down upon, but I can't do it alone. That is why I was wondering if you would want to train with Agnes. You could become a knight, a Chevalier."

"That is a pretty tall order to try to fill."

"I know it probably sounds selfish. I want to protect you. Plus. . . It would mean I could be. . . closer. . . to you."

'I guess there is no turning back now. Saito is the only man other than Wales that I have had any feelings for. He is the only man that is close to me that I can trust and be comfortable around. I would like to see where things could lead with him.'

"I like you Saito, I would like to get to know you even more, and I would like to be able to go on a date with you."

"You really would?"

"Yes. I would."

'I guess I should have almost expected this coming. The other night felt like something more than just an act to throw off the guards. She must have felt that too. What about Tabitha and Siesta though? I would still like to find out more about Agnes too. I can't deny the fact that I have some feelings/interests for them.'

Henrietta could tell he was thinking, and she realizes that he must be thinking of the other women. It hurts, but she understands how he could have feelings for the others.

"Henrietta, I. . . "

She cuts him off with a finger to his lips, and she shakes her head.

"I merely wanted to let you know how I feel, and I am not expecting anything more than a date right now Saito. A lot has happened and I know that you have to sort it all out."

He nods.

Now, I believe that you have some business with Agnes. Just don't get too wrapped up with her that you forget about Tabitha."

"Right. Thank you again Henrietta. I owe you a date."

They smile at each other and embrace in another hug before he exits.

Saito and Agnes head for the training area after she gives a couple of the musketeers some explicit orders.

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A knock is heard on Henrietta's door.

"Yes?"

"Miss Louise De La Valliere is here to see you your majesty."

"Let her in."

The musketeer let's Louise in and shuts the door.

Louise looks annoyed. But she gives a bow to the queen out of respect.

"What's wrong? What can I do for you Louise?"

"Why were you with Saito?

'So that's why she is here.'

"Yes. I was talking with Saito."

"Why? Do you have feelings for him?"

She said this in an interrogative tone.

Louise must still not be over the fact that he is no longer hers.

"I suggest you watch your tone Louise. I am the queen and I am allowed to talk to whomever I want to. Saito is no longer your familiar and he is not your property. So my business with him is none of your concern, but I will tell that we were simply discussing his. . . options. He has a lot to figure out."

"Why would you talk with him? I thought we were childhood friends."

'So she wants to pull that card out on me.'

"Louise. We ARE childhood friends, and I love you very much for that. I trust you very dearly and hold our friendship very close. You mean the world to me."

She gives Louise a compassionate hug, releases, and then takes a step back with her hands on Louise's shoulders.

"But, I will not change what I said in Osmond's office though. I did not approve of the way you were treating Saito. He has not only saved you multiple times, but he has also saved Siesta, Agnes, me, and this country through his actions. He is a hero to the country. He might have been your familiar, but he was a human being and not some dog."

Tabitha's words came back to haunt Louise as she heard Henrietta speak and Louise starts to tear up.

"Had you not treated him the way you did, then things might have been very different between you two."

"Excuse me your majesty."

Louise exits into the hallway and starts crying. She utters Saito's name as she heads back to her room.

Henrietta reflects on their conversation.

'I really hated being like that towards Louise, but telling her bluntly like that might be the only way to get through to her.'

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 **A/N:** And another chapter is done. Thank you so much for reading my story.

I wanted to expand on Henrietta and her relationship with Saito. I also wanted to start showing some interaction between Henrietta and Tabitha because of their interest in Saito. So I figured that this chapter was a good place for that.

I also threw a little bit of a play on words with something Saito says while he was walking and talking with Henrietta.

V1.1


	5. Chapter 5: Getting To Know You

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

"Unfamiliar Ceiling."

Evangelion

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Five

Getting To Know You

Agnes throws Saito a wooden sword for their practice today.

"Today we will use these."

Saito nods his head.

"So what do you think of the Queen's offer? Will you train with me regularly so that you can become a chevalier?"

"I don't think I am good enough to become a chevalier though."

"Don't underestimate your abilities Saito. I know you can do this."

He gives her a look that kind of challenges that statement. He also puts his hands on his hips.

"And how would you know that?"

"Remember, I have not only already done some training with you before, but I have also seen you in combat."

"I have always used my Gandalfr ability except for the time I fought Julio, and I lost that battle."

"That was not the only time Saito. You also fought my lieutenant without your ability, and held her off. You even stopped her from stabbing me. You were swift and capable. If I wouldn't have felt safe with your abilities, do you honestly believe I would have let you handle her alone?"

He scratches the back of his head.

"Well, I guess not."

"I wouldn't have. I stood by and said what I needed to her while you fought her off. You handled yourself well. The only reason why you lost to Julio was because he had more training and experience than you. Even though you had remembered some stuff with your use of the Gandalfr ability, you had fought him after only one day of training. In my opinion, you did extremely well and you pick up things easily."

"You really think so?" Saito asks. Still doubting himself.

"Yes." She tells him with an unwavering tone.

"Thanks for that. I want to let you know that if I am going to be trained by anyone, then I am glad it is by you."

Agnes blushes at his comment, but quickly tries to blow it off so that she doesn't get distracted by it.

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"I really mean it. I have watched you and you're amazing."

'Damn him. I can see he isn't going to make training him easy for me.'

She clears her throat.

"Saito. There are three things I want you to remember with combat."

"What are those?"

"One: Speed

Two: Skill

Three: Will"

Saito nods in acknowledgement as she cited off those three things.

She stands in front of him very stoically with her arms crossed in front of her.

"I can help you with the first two items, but you are the only one that can help yourself with the last one. **You** have to find the will to fight. **You** have to find the will to go on in an unyielding situation. Without a great will and self-doubt, then you will surely fall."

"Got it."

"Now let's begin"

She gets into a battle ready position.

Saito does the same thing.

"Come at me." Agnes tells Saito with a serious look on her face.

Saito also gets a serious look on his face and a mild smirk appears along the side of his mouth.

He charges at Agnes with his sword arm extended out. Agnes parries his and spins along the outside of his arm. After she spins past him she smacks his back with her sword.

'Damn!' Saito thinks inwardly.

"That was a good lunge, but you must watch for the unexpected. Expect a counter attack. Again."

He lunges at her again. This time when she parries his attack he makes an abrupt stop to turn and block her back attack. But this time she didn't perform the same maneuver. This time she grabs his extended arm and makes him fall over her leg.

*Fwump*

"Ugh!"

The rest of their training continues on pretty much like that, but he never gives up. They go on for a couple of hours. She compares stances and teaches Saito techniques against some of the attacks. He manages to get into a parrying session with her, blocking each other's attacks.

'Sparring with Saito is actually quite exhilarating. It's nice having a capable partner.' Agnes thinks to herself.

"Not too bad Saito." She gives him a smile.

"Thanks, but I still feel like I got trounced on."

"Well, I think tomorrow you will do better. You had a long day today, and I don't think that your head was fully here. Clear your head for tomorrow. You should go have dinner now with Tabitha. I think I have taken up enough of your time."

"Thanks Agnes. I enjoyed our session even though I know I'm going to pay for it later."

"Get well Saito."

'I enjoyed it too Saito.'

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"Ha ha haaaaa! And how is the pride of the peasants today?" Said Marteau Chef and head of the kitchen staff.

He gives Saito a happy smack on the back.

Saito smiles at him.

"A little worked over by Agnes's training, but I am well."

One of the other girls in the kitchen staff starts talking to another.

"I thought I heard that Agnes is a lesbian? I overheard a couple students say that they saw her groping a girl from behind while holding her mouth and whispering into her ear."

"Now I don't want any gossip in my kitchen while we are working, and I don't think that Agnes would take kindly to you talking about her."Marteau says this while waving a large butcher knife around.

Saito scratches his head.

'Is she really a lesbian? She didn't strike me as one, but Louise did say Agnes kissed her.'

"It's so good to see you Saito!" Siesta came walking in from behind him.

He turns around to see her beautiful smile.

"Hey Siesta!" He says back to her.

She gives him a big hug.

"We are pretty busy right now Siesta. So, no flirting with our sword right now." Said Marteau, waving his knife around again.

Seista turns and gives him a pout with her hands on her hips.

"You're no fun." she retorts back to Marteau.

She then turns back to Saito, and hands him a tray. She then gives him a quick peck on the cheek.

Saito Blushes.

"I am glad you are doing better now. I don't like seeing you unhappy, and when you're not happy, then I am not happy." Siesta whispers to him.

"Thanks Siesta."

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Back in Tabitha's room, Saito and Tabitha get ready to eat at her table. It wasn't a huge table, but it was big enough for the two of them to sit and eat comfortably.

"I am sorry you have to eat like this just because of me Tabitha."

She shakes her head.

"I like this better. It's quieter, and it's with you."

"I don't really think that I am that great of company."

"You are more than you think you are. Are you ok? You look bruised." Tabitha says to him.

"Yeah, I am. Agnes' training was a little rough, but good. I am glad I did that after Henrietta talked with me."

"How was your visit with the queen?"

"It went well. She said that if I trained hard, then I could possibly become a chevalier."

'That would certainly raise his social class.'

"She also said something peculiar though."

Tabitha just stares at him as if she were expectantly awaiting his continuation.

'Do I tell her everything?'

"She told me I have a lot of people that care about me."

Tabitha nods in agreement.

"I think that she might like me."

"Do you like. . . . her?"

'Shit. I was hoping she wouldn't ask me that.'

"I would be lying if I said I didn't."

She starts to feel a little disappointed when she hears that.

"But I also can't deny that I have feelings towards others as well." He says this and stares into her eyes.

A light blush forms on her cheeks as she perks back up a bit.

'At least he is being honest with me, and it seems like I have a chance with him.'

"This food looks and smells so good. I can't believe they made a plate for me too. I am not a noble or a student of this academy."

"I saw to it that they did."

"You did?"

"After you left with the others, I sent a letter to the kitchen staff. I told them to make sure that you had a plateful too. Siesta came back and said that they would take care of it. Siesta explained Marteau took quite a liking to you and that he said he will take care of everything.

Saito face palms and shakes his head.

"I guess I should be grateful. They treat me real good. I just don't know how to react to their kindness sometimes."

"Just be yourself Saito."

They start to eat their food.

"Do nobles really eat like this all the time?"

She nods.

"I don't know if I could eat like this all the time. It's nice to have something simple once in a while. Have you ever eaten simpler, or should I even say, commoner meals?"

"I have. I have traveled around a lot because of my uncle, and I have had to eat very plainly sometimes. It's not so bad sometimes. Some commoners actually cook quite well."

'How many quests has her uncle sent her on? And why send someone so young?'

"Could you tell me about one of your journeys?"

She proceeds to tell him about a time she had to face off with a blue dragon while they eat.

"I can't believe you did that yourself Tabitha."

"I'm used to it." She says this and looks out her large window

'She's used to it?'

Saito says, "I guess I will take our tray back", as he gets up to take things back.

Tabitha grabs a portion of his sleeve.

"Huh?" Saito says in response.

"Stay. . . Please. . ."

"But what about the tray? You don't really want it out do you? I promise I won't take too long. I will check on Sylphid while I am out too."

"OK."

'I wish he would just stay. I actually don't mind his company, but he is right. Besides, Sylphid would go nuts if she didn't eat soon.'

He leaves with the tray.

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After returning their tray, he takes a large bowl of food to Sylphid. When he approaches her, she tilts her head to the side in puzzlement. She isn't used to seeing him bring her meal. She starts looking side to side a number of times to see if Tabitha would suddenly walk out. She even looked behind Saito to see if he was hiding her behind him.

Saito laughs.

"Sorry Silphid. She is confined to her room for helping me. I hope you don't mind me bringing you your food for the next handful of days.

She nods.

He puts the bowl down for her and watches her while she eats.

"You know Sylphid, I really like Tabitha. She might not talk much, but she is a good person. She really went through a lot to help me."

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*Knock, knock, knock.*

"Come in." Tabitha says in a soft voice.

Saito comes in to see her reading a book in her bed.

'I like watching her read. If only I had a camera, then I would take a picture of her. It would be a very beautiful picture of her sitting on her bed by that flower painting. She looks completely lost into whatever she is reading. I guess I should leave her be.'

He goes over to her massive bookcase and pulls out a book, carefully making note where he pulled it from. He tries to read it, but unfortunately he can't.

'If only that translation spell would have work on reading the language too. How am I supposed to get around in this world if I can't even read?'

He tries to flip the book sideways and upside-down to see if he could make any sense to it. Of course, it doesn't help.

He groans and slumps his shoulders.

Tabitha takes notice.

"You can't read our language, can you?"

"No." He says this and shakes his head.

"Would you like me to teach you?"

"That would be great. Are you sure you are willing to go through that?"

She nods and scoots to the edge of her bed. She then pats the part of the bed next to her, motioning for him to sit to sit there.

He comes over, and sits next to her.

The intimacy of how close he is makes her get a little flushed.

She spends a little time with him, trying to teach him some of the basic nouns. It was actually quite nice. As time went on, Tabitha was slowly getting a little comfortable and animated around him.

'She seems so reclusive most of the time. It's nice to see a little more color to her.'

Through their time, Saito finds out that Tabitha is actually a fan of art. She went into extreme details about each of the pictures that were in the book she was showing me. It was as if she saw into every picture's soul.

Eventually, it came time to retire this long day.

She changed behind his back.

"Using magic made this so much easier."

"Sorry about that Tabitha."

"It's ok."

"Where I came from, we always had to do it like this. We didn't have the luxury of using magic."

After she changed into some green pajamas, Tabitha climbed into her bed and covered up. She waited a moment to see if Saito would join her, but when he didn't come, she sat up and looked over to him. She patted the bed, giving him the signal that he could sleep on the bed.

He got flushed and he shook his head.

"I couldn't do that."

He looks around her room.

"How about I use your couch?"

"This is comfier. Better than a bed of hay." She retorts

"That might be so, but I just couldn't."

Tabitha's shoulders slump a little.

Saito frantically puts his hands up and starts waving them back and forth thinking that she took it badly.

"It's not that I don't like you. . . I do. . . I mean. . . I give up."

He slumps onto her couch.

She giggles a little.

'Did she actually just giggle a little?'

"It's ok Saito. I understand."

She puts out the lamp at the side of her bed. All that was left was a faint glow from the moons through her window.

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Sometime late in the middle of the night, Saito wakes up from a nightmare.

"AHHH!"

He was in a cold sweat, his heart was racing, and he was panting heavily. He had a nightmare about Louise whipping him and all he heard was the voice in the back of his head telling him it was all ok.

Once he realized that he was in Tabitha's room he started to calm down a little. He looked over to see Tabitha standing by her window glancing over at him.

"Nightmare?"

"Yeah. It was. I hope I didn't disturb you."

'Why was she by the window awake?'

She shook her head.

'It seems like we both have our demons that haunt us.' She Thought.

"Are you ok?" She asks him.

Honestly, that nightmare had him shook up, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"I will be. Thanks."

He makes a deep sigh to release the tension in his body and he leans his head back against the wall.

Tabitha walks over and sits on the couch next to him.

"What's up Tabitha?"

She pats her leg.

"Head."

"I couldn't."

"It will calm you down. It's something my mother used to do."

"Well. . . "

'I guess I can't refuse.'

"Maybe just for a few minutes, but then you should go back to bed yourself."

She nods.

He lays his head down on her lap, and closes his eyes.

She starts to hum a soft tune to him that her mother used to hum for her. She starts to stroke his hair.

He falls back to sleep from the calm tune that she hummed.

She eventually falls back to sleep too , with Saito's head on her lap, after reminiscing about her mother.

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Saito starts to wake up in the morning. His head seems to be on a pillow. His hand had also seemed to be on this pillow too.

'Wait. I didn't have a pillow. Last I remember. . .'

He frantically looks up to find that not had his head still been on her lap but his hand had been on the inside of her thigh.

Tabitha startles awake and looks down at Saito.

He jumps up from the couch and huddles into a corner of her room with his hands covering head. He was expecting a whipping.

"I'm Sorry. I'm Sorry. I'm Sorry. I'm Sorry. I'm Sorry."

Tabitha gets up and slowly walks over to him.

'I cannot believe that he reacted like that to an accident. This has to be because of Louise whipping him over everything. Saito, I will undo everything she has done to you and mend your wounds.'

Saito listens to her walking towards him.

'Oh God! Now I did it.' He thinks.

When she gets up to him, she gives a surprised Saito a hug.

"It's ok. I am not going to whip you or beat you over that. I am not going to hurt you over an accident. You can relax."

He releases his guard.

"How about we have some breakfast." She adds.

"Yeah. That sounds good. I'll go get it. Anything in particular?"

"Toast. And something warm to drink."

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 **A/N:** And another chapter is done. Thank you so much for reading my story.

Just to kind of let you know what I have in store for this story: I am planning on taking this through to the end of the anime (as long as if there are no hick-ups). So he will go through all of the major story arcs. I also have some possible side quests that he will go through too. This also means that he will go through the battle of 70,000.

V1.1


	6. Chapter 6: The Kiss

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

It started with a kiss

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Six

The Kiss

After enjoying their quiet breakfast, Saito and Tabitha hear a knock on her door.

Saito gets up from the table to answer the door for Tabitha.

He opens the door to see the last person in the world that he wanted to see.

'Louise.'

She stood there in the hallway in her school uniform. Saito could tell she was nervous. She was fidgeting with her hands and was also looking down. She knew he was standing there, but she didn't know what to say.

They stood there for a moment silent.

"Saito, can we. . ."

Saito holds up a hand to stop her.

"I am sorry, but I am not ready to handle this yet."

She looks up just to see Saito looking away as he slowly shuts the door.

Montmorency walks over and grabs Louise by the arm.

"Perhaps he just needs a little more time Louise."

They walk away.

"I just can't deal with that yet Tabitha."

She nods to him.

'He should talk with her, but only when he is ready.

"I think I am going to go for a morning jog to let off some steam.

He straps Derflinger to his back.

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Saito starts his jog after he makes sure that Sylphid was fed. He decided to run along the inside perimeter of the pentagon shaped school.

He passes along the area where the students were gathering for their training. It looks like they were going to be training with Agnes first this time because he saw their training staffs.

He gets a smile on his face thinking about Agnes.

'She's an amazing woman.'

He had also seen Louise with Julio. It looked like she was upset and he was consoling her.

'At least she has someone she can go to. I will eventually have to talk to her.'

He continues jogging.

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Saito eventually takes a break and sits along a section of wall where it is quiet.

He sets Derf against the wall too.

"Working hard partner?"

"Well, I've got to do something."

"And the queen wants you to become a knight."

Saito clasps his hands together behind his head and leans back.

"Yes she does. I still can't believe she confessed to me."

"Yeah. You owe her a date now. And I hope you realize she isn't the only one that seems to like you."

"Siesta has certainly made it pretty evident to me."

"I am pretty sure Tabitha has the hots for you too bro, and I told you that Agnes would also make a nice partner for you."

"I am still not sure about her. I can't figure it out. It seems like she is having fun during our training sessions, but is she? Could she be just training me because of Henrietta's interest in me?"

"She did try hard to get you to train with her the other day, even after you told her no."

"I really do like her though, but I also like the others as well. "

"Tough choices."

"I just hope that they don't think higher of me than what I really am."

"I think that YOU don't think enough of yourself. You compare yourself too much to people that have much more experience than you do. Believe in yourself Saito, and make it happen. Do it not just for them, but for yourself. You can do this Gandalfr."

Saito smiles.

"Thanks for the pep talk Derf. I can't let anybody down including myself. If they can believe in me, then maybe I should too."

He stands up, straps Derf back on, and continues with his training with new vigor.

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Saito washed up in the commoners wash area after his long run, and then he headed back to Tabitha's room.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

"Yes?"

"It's Saito."

"Come in."

As soon as he entered into the room Tabitha puts a bookmark in her book and sets it down to her side, giving him her full attention. She then looks over to him and smiles.

"How was your run?"

"The perimeter of this school is huge."

"It's nice to see you back."

'I wonder if it made her sad that she couldn't train with the other students. She might like the peace of not being some of the others, but I doubt that she really wanted to miss out on improving herself. Of course, she could magically beat the pants off of most of the people here.'

"Thanks. It's good to see you too. I didn't want to leave you by yourself for too long." He says this as he sets Derf against the wall.

She blushes.

"Did you want me to teach you how to read some more before lunch?", said the blue haired book worm.

"That sounds good. Are you sure that you want to?"

She nods.

They sit next to each other again with very little room between like a couple peas in a pod.

As they go on with the lesson, they find little things to laugh about as he tries to figure it out.

'I can't believe Louise treated someone who is so nice to be around so terribly.'

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After lunch, Saito meets up with Agnes for their usual practice.

"You seem to be ready today Saito."

"I am."

"That's good."

She smiles.

'Now this is the Saito I know.'

"Then today we fight with our swords."

He nods.

"Today I am not going to go easy on you." He says to the blond warrior.

"Ha! Pretty gutsy for a guy after a day of training."

He smirks.

They both get into a battle ready stance.

This time she takes the initiative and charges at him with a downward slash.

He blocks her attack with an opposite upward slash.

Sparks fly off of their swords as they slide off of each other and reverse the attacks.

*Clang!*

Another clash of their swords.

With their swords met, Agnes knocks Saito away with her foot. This causes him to fall backwards onto his back.

"Woahhh."

He staggers up to one knee to see a downward strike coming his way.

Agnes' strike gets blocked by Derflinger as Saito raises him up horizontally. He shifts her swords focus by making her blade slide down to his hilt. He releases one hand from Derf and grabs her ankle and sweep it up, causing her to lose her balance.

Agnes manages to get loose from his grip by swinging her leg away in a spin. She stops to regain her stance, and Saito stands up as well.

"Nicely done Saito."

"You gave me the idea after that little flip over your knee yesterday."

"You learn quickly."

"I've gotta catch up to you somehow."

"You are gonna have to learn more tricks than that to win me over . . . I mean to win one over on me."

'Shit! I can't believe I just said that.'

Saito pauses a moment trying to process what she just said.

'Did she just say. . '

His thought couldn't be finished due to the fact that Agnes came at him with a swift, horizontal strike.

'Can't let him ponder on that for too long.'

He raises his sword in time to parry hers.

She takes the momentum of her sword deflecting off of his to spin around and attack the other side.

He shifts his sword to parry again. He then steps forward to try to get in behind her to grapple from behind, but he gets elbowed in the stomach.

Before he has time to recover she slips away and draws her musket on Saito.

Saito crosses his arms.

"It's not fair to bring a musket to a sword fight."

"Unless you are in an honorable sword fight, you need to remember one thing. All is fair in war."

He scratches the back of his head.

"Yeah."

"I just wanted to remind you of that. I won't pull that again for the rest of our training today."

He nods.

"Shall we continue Saito?"

He smiles.

"You bet."

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Today Saito had decided to feed Sylphid before he grabbed the dinner tray for him and Tabitha. Siesta had enough time to give him a giant hug and a smiling face (more like she made the time for that) because they were pretty busy in the kitchen again. He headed back with a happy smile on his face.

'It's always great to see Siesta. Her smiling face makes me feel at ease.'

He eventually makes it back to Tabitha's room and knocks.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

With a slightly strained voice, Tabitha gets out "Come in."

Saito opens the door with a slightly concerned face.

"Are you ok?"

He sees Tabitha holding her right hand.

"I hurt my hand getting my book from behind the bed. It fell back there at some point while Kirche was here. I would have just used magic, but I am not allowed."

"So you had to do it the old fashioned way."

She nods.

He imagines how she must have looked trying to get it out without magic and he chuckles a little bit.

She pouts.

"Don't laugh at me."

"I'm sorry to laugh. Your pain isn't funny. I was just imagining you trying to get it out and thought it would have been kind of cute to see that."

She blushes and looks to the side.

He sets the tray down on the table.

"So what did Kirche Have to say?"

She turns bright red

'I can't even begin to tell you what she said to me and suggested I do with you.'

She shakes her head vigorously.

"Nothing much."

He sits on the bed next to Tabitha. He gently grabs her hand to look at it.

His touch made her temperature rise a little more.

"It looks like you did a pretty good job on your hand. It is starting to bruise already. It'll be all right thought. Do you think you can still eat with it?"

"I can try."

They get up to go to the table to eat. He pulls out her chair for her so she wouldn't have to, and then pushes her in.

'How chivalrous of him.'

"Thank you Saito."

He smiles at her.

"You're welcome."

She tries to pick up her fork but her hand shakes while trying to grip it. She then grabs the fork with her other hand and awkwardly tries to eat.

Saito stops her.

'I have never offered to do this before, and it's kind of intimate, but why not?' He thinks to himself.

"How about you let me feed you today?"

'I don't think I have ever been fed by anyone before. How embarrassing though. I can't believe Saito is seeing me like this. But if it's anybody that is going to be with me in this kind of predicament, then I wouldn't want anyone but Saito. Maybe this will be enjoyable'

"OK." She simply says to him.

They take their time eating their dinner and enjoying their private moment together.

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That night, Saito didn't go to sleep right away. He sat at Tabitha's desk, thinking about everything that has happened over the past few days. Tabitha seemed pretty tired and had fallen asleep.

At some point she started to stir. She started to pant and sweat heavily.

'She must be having a dream.'

She started to flail her head back and forth.

"Mother. No. No!"

She had rolled onto her side facing the wall.

'I guess I'm not the only one with bad dreams. I can't let her deal with it alone.'

Saito gets up and gently sits on the bed next to her.

He leans down a little and starts to stroke her hair.

"It's ok Tabitha. I am here with you. Let me protect you."

Her body had stiffened up for a moment, but had started to relax. Her breathing had also started to slow down as he stroked her hair.

He didn't know it, but she woken from her nightmare, but she didn't let him know she was awake. She had some tears streaming down her face.

'Thank you for being here Saito.'

She was happy that he was around to comfort her.

After a handful of minutes, she was back to a normal state.

"Maybe I should leave you be now."

He starts to get up, but she grabs his hand to stop him. Still not facing him, she pulls him to the bed.

"Are you sure?" He says to her as he assumes she is awake.

She nods and intertwines her hand with his.

He spoons her.

Not another word gets spoken as they lay there.

Eventually they fall asleep together.

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Morning comes as Saito starts to wake up. He felt an odd pressure on his chest and he feels like he is tangled up with something. He opens his eyes to see the back of Tabitha's head. She had her head on his chest and she had a leg over his. He also realized that his hand was on her thigh.

His whole body started to stiffen up with worry.

'If she wakes up like this, then she is going to kill me.'

She grips his shirt.

'I am dead'

He gulps.

"Stay. You're comfy, and I understood that this could have happened when I invited you into bed in the first place."

He relaxes.

'It's amazing how understanding she is.'

"Thank you for being with me last night Saito. You comforted me."

"I don't know what you were dreaming, and I am not going to ask unless you want to tell me. But I wasn't going to let you face your nightmare alone."

"Thank you and that was the best night's sleep I have had in a long time."

She sits up on her side and looks at him.

"I know that you have no obligation to me, but will you stay by my side?"

"I will always be by your side. You are very important to me."

She smiles at him, and she starts to lean up towards him.

"I love you Saito."

She starts to lean in for a kiss. Saito starts to lean in too, but stops just short.

"I love you too, but are you sure you want to do this even though I have feeling for others?"

"I am ok with knowing that. It doesn't change my feelings for you."

She runs her hand in the back of his hair.

They close their eyes and their lips meet.

It's a soft, but very passionate kiss between the two as emotions fly.

His body starts to heart up.

After a moment, Saito furrows his eyebrows.

'What the hell?'

He breaks away from the kiss and starts to grit his teeth.

'I don't think that kisses should burn like this.

Tabitha looks at him, puzzled as to what is going on.

"Saito?"

He sits up.

"Oh God. This hurts. What the heck is going on?"

She sits up as well. She starts to look him over while she tries to figure out what is going on.

"Ahhhhhhhhh. My back. It's burning. I feel like I'm going through the bonding process again, but this feels worse than last time. How is this happening?"

Tabitha slips his shirt up to see his back.

He buries his head into her pillow as he starts to scream out.

Runes start to appear on his back.

Tabitha frantically tries to think of how this is happening. She didn't do the incantation to summon a familiar.

Two sets of runes appear are on his back. Seven are in one row, and six in the second.

The only thing that she could think of is that Colbert only said that the spell that was used on Saito only reset the bond. Saito wasn't returned back where he came from. So it is as if he had still just been summoned like he was before, and that their kiss just now sealed the contract.

Blue lines stream from the runes. They trace along his veins, spreading throughout his whole body. They go down his legs and arms, and they go up his neck and into his eyes.

'Damn! Not . . . Again.' Saito thinks to himself.

He lets out one final scream as he passes out.

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 **A/N:** And another chapter is done. Thank you so much for reading my story.

I wonder if anyone saw that coming.

V1.1


	7. Chapter 7: Moving Forward

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Help can come from the oddest of sources.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seven

Moving forward

One hour later Saito wakes up. He looks over to the side and Tabitha is sitting at his bedside in a chair. Her eyes were red and puffy.

'Has she been crying?'

"Are you ok Tabitha?"

She covers her eyes.

"I am so sorry Saito. I didn't know that was going to happen. That spell only reset the bonding process. It didn't get rid of it like we thought."

"I didn't know either. That hurt like hell, but for some reason, I feel great now."

She starts to shake her head back and forth with her hands still covering her face.

"But now you are going to have that voice in your head again."

She starts to sob into her hands.

'She is right. I am going to have to deal with that again. There has to be a way. I can't let her see that I am worried though. I don't like to see her not happy.'

He stands up and pulls her head to his stomach in an embrace.

"It's going to be ok. We will figure this out. At least we have two good things going for us though. I liked you before I became your familiar, and I don't think that you are going to treat me like Louise did."

She uncovers her face and wraps her arms around him.

"I wouldn't even think of treating you like that."

He looks over to his sword that is leaning against the wall.

"Hey Derf?"

"Hey partner. That was very interesting."

"Do you know anything about this?" Saito says to his sharp friend.

"Yes I. . . I mean, no I don't."

He slides himself back into his sheath

Tabitha and Saito both look over to him.

Saito lets go of Tabitha (begrudgingly) and walks over to Derflinger. He pulls him out of the sheath.

"Spill it Derf! Do you know about the runes?" He says adamantly.

"Yes."

". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Welllllll!"

"I am sorry Saito. I know what your runes mean, but I was sworn to secrecy many years ago. I cannot break my oath as much as I want to. I will say this to you though. These runes are extremely important and as you find stuff out about them, I will tell you more information."

"So are you even going tell me what they do?"

"No."

"What!" Exclaimed both Tabitha and Saito.

"Derf! This is ridiculous! How can you hold important, need to know information from me?"

"Like I said, I was sworn to secrecy. Let me add that this is the first time I have ever actually seen these runes. I was only told about them."

"You realize I'm kind of pissed off at you right?"

"Unfortunately yes."

"Ugh."

"I guess it is no use fighting with him about it Saito. We are just going to have to figure it out."

*Knock, knock, knock*

Saito opens the door.

"Hello Saito! You didn't show up for the breakfast tray, so I figured I would bring it for you. Of course, I did take a lot of convincing to Marteau to let me out of some work."

He scratches the back of his head.

"Well. . . . We had a bit of an incident."

"Oh my! Are the two of you ok?"

"You have to promise not to tell anyone about this yet."

She nods.

He turns around and lifts up his shirt to reveal his back to her.

She gasps and holds her hand to her mouth.

"Did you get summoned as a familiar again?"

"Well, we didn't know it, but the spell that was used on me only reset the bonding process to before I kissed Louise."

Siesta gasps again with a new realization.

"But that means that you must have kissed. . ."

Tabitha blushes and looks away.

"Awwwww."

She pouts and looks at Saito, and then Tabitha.

'Am I ever going to get my chance? That should have been me that got to kiss Saito.'

"Wait! What about the voice in his head, and do you have any idea what the runes do?" Siesta says to the duet.

Saito glares at Derflinger.

"Unfortunately we don't know yet what they do, and we will just have to figure something out about the voice." Saito says to the dark haired beauty.

"Maybe you could talk to Colbert. Surely he knows something you could do." Siesta says to him.

'What would I do without Siesta.' Saito thinks to himself

{What would you do without Tabitha?}

Saito gets an annoyed tick mark on his forehead.

"I might be able to handle it for now, but I am definitely going to have to do something about it."

"I didn't know how much you two wanted to eat, so I brought a bunch of things."

She lifts the lid off of their tray. Needless to say, there was enough for at least three people.

"You weren't kidding Siesta." Saito says.

'I might want him to myself, but she cares about him too. He did save her too. I guess it would be fair to offer her some too.' Tabitha thinks to herself.

"You. . .want to. . . join us. . . Siesta?"

Saito looks at Tabitha.

'She closed back up a bit with Siesta around. It's like she only opened up for me. I will definitely have to remember this. That was awful nice of her to offer that to Siesta though. It would be nice to have a meal with her.'

Siesta beams from ear to ear.

"Really?" She says excitedly to Tabitha and Saito.

Tabitha does her typical nod, but with a slight smile.

'She gets soo happy when there is anything involving her and Saito. It's actually kind of cute.' Tabitha notes to herself.

'Did Tabitha just smile when she did that?' Siesta and Saito both thought.

Saito gets a thought.

"Tabitha, is your hand okay enough to eat?"

'I would love to have Saito feed me again, but Siesta is here. I would feel awkward.'

"I could try." She says to Saito.

"What happened to her hand?" Siesta says to Saito.

"She hurt it moving around some stuff yesterday."

"Let me see your hand Tabitha." Siesta says adamantly.

Tabitha reluctantly shows her bruised hand.

'Tabitha was so nice to help Saito. I couldn't take him completely away from her when she needs a little help.' Siesta thinks.

"That will not do. You should definitely feed her."

After a few bites, Tabitha feels a little guilty doing this in front of Siesta (Who hasn't even said a single word about him doing that for her).

'I guess it would only be fair.' Tabitha decides.

"You feed her too."

Saito and Siesta both look at Tabitha shocked.

'She is full of surprises today.' Saito inwardly thinks.

Siesta glows in excitement.

So he starts to feed her too.

By the end of their breakfast they are all blushing. Siesta managed to feed him a little bit too.

"Thank you for this wonderful opportunity Tabitha, but I should probably get going now before Marteau gets too mad at me."

She gives Saito a big hug and then goes for Tabitha. She pauses a moment to make sure it is ok with her. When Tabitha nods, she then quickly takes her opportunity to give her a hug.

"Thank you." Siesta whispers into Tabitha's ear before she cleans up and takes away the tray. She practically hops out of the room in joy.

The remaining two share a laugh.

"She is really nice." Saito says with a smile on his face.

Tabitha shares in his enjoyment and gives a smile too.

"That was really nice of you as well Tabitha. I know you didn't have to do that."

"I didn't, but I know how much you two mean to each other. I also fully accepted the fact that you do have feelings for others when we kissed."

"You're very understanding Tabitha, and I love that about you."

She blushes and looks to the side.

"I also like how you have been opening up around me. Siesta made that clear to me just now. Your demeanor changed slightly back when it wasn't just the two of us."

"Flattery will get you nowhere Saito."

She smiles and points a finger at him.

He smiles back.

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Saito and Agnes take a little break from training. They both are sweating from their workout.

"There is no way that you are as good as you are just because of remembering a few things from having the Gandalfr runes. You have a natural talent with the sword." Agnes says to Saito.

"Do you really think so?"

She gives an assured nod to Saito.

"In a matter of days you have been able to surpass the abilities of my subordinates and come close to my own. I have even had to up my game against you."

"What? No way. All I've been doing is just studying your movements and listening to your guidance."

"Well, you are doing really well Saito. I am proud of you. I also feel like I have been doing a little learning in the process. Are you sure that your new runes aren't affecting this?"

"I am positive. I don't feel any extra power from the new runes."

"His new runes aren't going affect his swordsmanship. He is doing all of this on his own." Derflinger explains to the duo.

"Anything else you with to share Derf?"

". . . . ." Derf stays silent.

"Very well", says Agnes.

She knows things are strained between the two because he isn't sharing any more info, so she doesn't try to push any further.

"Saito, I've needed someone like you around for a long time. I think you should help me do training sometime soon once we go through the right channels. I should test you against some of the other musketeers."

"You really think I am ready for that?"

"Absolutely Saito. Don't sell yourself short. In fact, I think that Henrietta would be very pleased to hear about this as well." She says to him.

'I know he got these new runes after kissing Tabitha, but hopefully he still has Henrietta in his heart. Henrietta knows that he does have interest in the other girls, but she has her heart really set on him. I will have to make sure his intentions are good before he does anything. I wish I could tell him how I feel. I can't though. Henrietta's needs come before mine. I won't interfere with her chance to be happy. I just have to be happy knowing he is near.'

Saito had been looking away from Agnes. He was having thoughts of his own.

'I am definitely going to have to do something about the voice in my head. I have feeling for the other girls and I don't want it getting in my way again. I will always be loyal to Tabitha, but the others mean a lot to me as well. They all deserve a fair chance. I still owe Henrietta a date as well.'

{You shouldn't have feeling for anyone other than your master.}

'Damn this voice in my head. Let's think about something else for now.'

"I wonder what kind of new power my runes will grant me."

Agnes returns her attention to Saito.

"I have no clue. Derflinger said that they aren't going to help your swordsmanship."

"Hmmmmmm."

Saito looks off into the distance, thinking.

"Wouldn't it be cool if they gave me the ability to cast magic?"

"That would be interesting. That combined with your growing fighting prowess would definitely make you a formidable foe." Agnes says to him with her arms crossed and leaning against a wall.

Siesta was walking nearby. She had a tray with a pitcher of water and a couple of cups for Saito and Agnes.

He sticks out his hand.

"I could cast spells like Tabitha's spell . . . "

He focuses at the wall that interconnects the central tower and the perimeter wall.

"Icy Wind."

The runes on Saito's back glow. Water droplets form in front of Saito and a gust of wind blows forward, turning the droplets into shards of ice as they get flung forward. The shards fly by Siesta, just barely missing her. The wind causes her to shift slightly and her skirt flaps around. With a yelp, she drops everything that she was holding trying to stay upright. The shards impale the wall he was looking at.

"ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Did I do that?"

"Yes you did partner."

Everyone looks in shock.

"I think that you are going to have to talk to Colbert about more than just one thing." Agnes says to Saito.

After Saito helps her up, Siesta gives Saito a huge hug.

"This is wonderful for you Saito! You can cast magic now!" Siesta excitedly tells Saito as she hangs off of his neck.

"I think it might be best if we cut things short today." Agnes says to him.

'This might help Henrietta's plans too. If he is able to cast magic, then maybe his social status could be raised. When it comes to Saito, Henrietta has really been telling me all of her thoughts. I know she trusts me, but I am surprised she is telling me so much.' Agnes ponders while holding her chin.

"Thanks Agnes. I promise I will make it up to you, and I will think about what you told me."

Siesta gives Saito a kiss on the cheek.

"Good luck Saito." Siesta says to him.

'I wish I could show my affection towards him like Siesta does, but I am going to stick by my thoughts and not stand in Henrietta's way.'

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Back in Colbert's lab, Saito and Colbert have their discussion.

Colbert studies Saito's back and writes down the runes.

"Very interesting Saito. You never cease to amaze me. So that spell didn't completely get rid of the bond. I should have realized it myself. So now you are bonded to Tabitha?."

Saito nods.

"If that is what the spell does, then maybe it should be locked away. That could be dangerous in the wrong hands."Saito says to Colbert worriedly.

"I couldn't agree with you more. I will discuss this with Osmond when I get a chance."

"My other issue is how I am going to handle the voice in my head. I can't have it influencing me all the time. I like my thoughts intact if you know what I mean."

"I completely understand what you are saying. Whether you are a mage or not, there are some solutions that may work. People have been able to fight mind control before. It takes a strong will to fight against it though."Colbert says thoughtfully to his young friend.

"I am willing to do just about anything to deal with this thing. Right now it seems like the influence isn't as bad because it is still in the early stages, but I want to figure this out before it becomes a major problem again."

"You could do mind strengthening techniques like saying mantras and meditation may help. Delving into the use of extreme logic and expanding your knowledge may also help. I have heard of more extreme ways of dealing with stuff like mind control by directly approaching it inside of your mind, but if you lose, then you could lose yourself and become a mindless zombie to the will of whatever is controlling you. I don't know how that would affect the bond if you were to win against it though."

"I don't know either, but I can't let it get to me."

"I would certainly start off with the simpler approaches."

"Could you help me with the knowledge part?"

"Anything for you Saito. Perhaps we could also somehow make you an unofficial student here. You can cast magic now."

"That would be really awesome if I could become one."

"It wouldn't do too much good at the moment considering that we haven't really been having traditional classes because of the war, but it will help you in the long run."

*Knock, knock, knock*

"You may come in."

Eleonore walks into Colbert's lab. She is holding a file sleeve with many papers in it. She had set up time to discuss some research with Colbert. She basically had a similar position at the school she originally came from.

She pauses a moment when she sees Saito in there as well.

'Crap! I haven't seen her since everything happened. I hope this doesn't go bad

"Oh. Hello Eleonore. Please sit down." Colbert says to her kindly.

"Perhaps I should leave." Saito says to his older friend.

"Stay. In fact, Eleonore might be interested in this as well."

"I don't know about this Colbert."

"Eleonore."

She looks over with a slightly odd look on her face. Saito couldn't tell if she was angry or if she had something to say but didn't know how to bring it up.

"Yes?" She replies.

Colbert started to tell her about his newest predicament. At first, she seemed kind of annoyed by the fact that he became a familiar again, and also the fact that it was to the woman that slapped her sister. Eventually her anger and annoyance turns to that of intrigue.

"I will fully admit that I am not one of your fans Saito, but you do have me interested. The scientist in me wants to see how much you can do because of the runes. I also feel like I owe you an apology for my family's actions as well. My mother had words with the rest of the family in regards to your treatment."

'Am I actually hearing this?' Saito tries to grasp what he is hearing.

She crosses her arms and closes her eyes.

'I don't like to apologize.' Eleonore thinks.

"If you are willing to accept my tutelage as a form of reconciliation, then I would like to work with you as well as your training with Agnes."

He looks a bit shocked from the statement.

She opens her eyes to look at him.

"Yes. I know you have been training with her. Louise has been trying to find the right time to talk with you, and that is how she found out you have been training with her. That will be my only request to training you. You need to eventually find time to talk with Louise." Eleonore says to him.

"I was planning on talking with her anyways and thank you Miss Valliere."

She nods.

"Just don't make me regret this Saito."

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Saito eventually makes his way back to Tabitha's room with their dinner.

*Knock, knock, knock*

"Saito!?"

"You bet."

"Come in!"

Saito enters Tabitha's room and is greeted with a nice smile on Tabitha's face.

'I missed you Saito.'

He smiles back.

"Have I got a lot to tell you." He says to her

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 **A/N:** And another chapter is done. Thank you so much for reading my story.

I wanted to give the Valliere family a chance for redemption. So I figured that might be a good way to start. I also felt like Eleonore's character has a lot of potential.

V1.1


	8. Chapter 8: Training, Questions, Answers

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Be true to yourself.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Eight

Training, Questions, And Answers

Saito wakes up with Tabitha asleep on his chest again. She has been sleeping better since he has been with her.

He gives her a slight kiss on top of her head.

She smiles, looks up at him, and she puts a hand on his face.

"Well good morning Tabitha!"

"Good morning to you too."

"So today you start your magic training?" Tabitha asks Saito.

"Yes. I have no idea what Eleonore has in store for me."

"I wish I could be there. It's not fair that I don't get to be there with you."

"I'm sorry. I wish you could be there too. You are my . . . master . . . after all."

She puts a finger on his lips and she shakes her head.

"Do not ever refer to me as your master or that you are my servant ever again. I don't want our relationship to be labeled like that. We have something better than that."

He nods.

"Okay and thank you for telling me that. That makes me feel a lot better."

"Are you sure that you want Eleonore doing this with you? She is Louise's sister. Are you sure that she isn't up to something?"

"No. I honestly don't think she is up to anything. She seemed genuine when she said that she wanted to apologize for the way I was treated. I can't imagine she would say something like that so lightly without meaning it."

"True."

"She also seemed interested in seeing what my new runes can do. Maybe she has put me on a different level now that I am able to cast magic. Whatever it may be, she seemed genuine."

"I trust your judgment Saito."

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Saito went to the kitchen to get breakfast for Tabitha and himself.

Siesta looks kind of down when she approaches him. She tries to hold a smile for him, but she is struggling.

"Is something wrong Siesta? I don't think I have ever seen you like this before."

"Saito, now that you can cast magic, are you going to. . . forget. . . about. . . me?"

He looks at her and smiles for her this time. He grabs her and pulls her into him for a hug.

"I couldn't ever forget about you Siesta. You hold just as much of a place in my heart as Tabitha. I can't picture not having your support and your smile around."

She gives a bright smile.

{The only one you need is your master.}

"I am so glad to hear that. I am sorry if I am troubling you, but I don't know what I would do without you around Saito."

She pulls away from the hug and gives him a kiss on the cheek. She then shoves the breakfast tray at him, and then runs away.

'What just happened?' Saito thinks to himself.

'I don't care if he has others that he may be in love with. I am okay with that. I will always love him no matter what. If he likes me around, then I will always try to make sure I am around for him.' Siesta thinks as she runs away.

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Saito goes through his usual jog.

He sees Louise with Julio again, but this time she notices him and tries to wave.

'Shit! I know I am supposed to talk to her, but I can't. Not yet.'

He picks up his pace to a full out run.

'This pace is getting easier to keep.'

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Saito slowly approaches his two teachers. Agnes looks a little annoyed.

'Why do I have to share my time with Saito with HER!' Agnes inwardly protests.

Eleonore is standing there with her arms crossed and leaning on one leg.

"So. Saito. Are you ready?" Eleonore says to him.

"As ready as I can be considering I have never cast magic before yesterday."

"First off, I would like to see a few minutes of you sparring with Agnes. If you have been training with her, then you should be pretty apt at fighting with the sword without the use of your Gandalfr runes."

"I can tell you for sure that he is quite apt and he has improved exponentially over the past few days with my help." Agnes says this to Eleonore with a slightly stern tone.

Eleonore holds up a hand to her.

"No offense to you Agnes, but I need to see things for myself. What I see will determine what kind of training I must give him. If he is not as proficient as you say he is, then I need to train him differently. But! If he has gotten as well as you and my sister says he has, then I will train him, in conjunction with the training you have been giving him, as a battle mage."

Agnes gives a begrudging nod.

'I do not want to share. But if this benefits Saito, then I will comply.' Agnes accepts dejectedly.

"Now show me what you've got Saito." Eleonore says demandingly.

Saito and Agnes get into battle ready stances.

Saito leads in for the first strike this time. Agnes defends as their swords clash. Dodging and parrying each other's blows. Their fight was like watching a dance. Eleonore was almost captivated by their well-timed movements.

'He has gotten this good with only a handful of sessions with Agnes?'

After a couple more minutes, Eleonore saw enough.

"Stop!" Eleonore yells out to the duo.

"I have seen what I have needed to see as far as your fighting ability. You have gotten better, but I still think you could do better. Now, we need to figure out your magical abilities." Eleonore continues.

'Tsk! Yeah right! You just don't want to give him too much praise. Damn mages. I am glad Saito wasn't one from the start.' Agnes scoffs to herself.

Agnes steps off to the side, giving Eleonore the stink eye as she settles against a wall.

"Take off your shirt Saito."

"What?!" Both Agnes and Saito let out.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not like I want to see you naked, but I want to be able to see your runes as we train." She retorts back to him.

He nods in understanding, and takes off his shirt.

Agnes settles back down, but inwardly enjoys the view.

"I know that you were able to cast a spell without the use of a wand or sword, but I wonder if you ARE able to do it with a sword. It would be a shame if you couldn't cast a spell while using a weapon. Too bad I do not have a sword on hand to test."

"Hey partner! You can use me to channel magic."

"Thanks for telling me Derf." Saito says this with a strained tone.

"Well this is good then. I still can't believe that you can cast spells without even a wand." Eleonore says to Saito.

"I don't understand myself. I have never seen anyone use magic without at least a wand." Saito says to Eleonore.

"That will make you an invaluable asset on the field. Mages can't do anything without at least a wand. If someone disarms you, then you can still defend yourself." Agnes interjects.

Eleonore nods in reluctant agreement.

"Now, you said that you were able to cast Tabitha's spell Icy Wind?"

He gives a nod.

She walks over to the perimeter wall and casts a protection spell.

As she casts the spell, Saito's runes glow. She doesn't see this because she was focused on the wall.

"Show me that spell again." Eleonore demands from him.

He holds out Derflinger this time. He points him at the wall. Saito's runes start to glow again.

"Icy Wind!" He yells out.

As he says the spell blue glowing veins spread out a few inches from the runes.

Derflinger glows. Balls of water appear in front him and a gust of wind shoots out. The balls, again, turn to shards of ice and fling at the wall.

"That worked, but that was a very sloppy casting of it." Eleonore says while holding her chin.

Saito bows his head in mild defeat.

"Are you able to cast other spells like healing spell Weise Heill or Lightning Bolt? How about the spells flame or water pulse?" Eleonore grills him.

"That first doesn't seem to do anything for me, but I remember Wardes using lightning bolt on me."

Saito gets an angry look on his face from remembering Wardes. He points Derflinger at the wall again. The runes start to glow again and the blue lines stream out even further

"Lightning bolt!"

Lightning shoots out from Derf, and with a crack of thunder, hits the wall.

The water pulse spell doesn't seem to do anything for Saito either, he tries the flame spell. He remembered Kirche using it a number of times.

"I think I will try the flame spell." He says to them.

He flings out Derf in a sweeping motion. The runes glow. This time, the Veins do not travel as far.

"Flame!"

A flare shoots out as he makes his sweep.

Agnes watches in amazement as Saito does all of this.

"I see now. I think that I am figuring some of this out now." Eleonore says aloud.

"What did you notice?"

"First off. When you casted each of those spells, what were you thinking?"

"Each time, I remembered how I had seen each spell."

"So you were able to cast only the spells that you have seen in person. You weren't able to cast spells just by merely hearing them mentioned. You are like a mimic then."

"Yep, she is right partner." Derf decided to add in.

"Thanks again for telling me after the fact again Derf." Saito says to his sword.

"Any time partner."

"That wasn't a compliment." He retorts back.

"His runes glowed when you cast that protection spell on the wall." Agnes adds to the conversation.

"Really?" Eleonore states.

She looks at Saito and then points to a different wall.

"Do it."

He walks over to the wall and puts his hand on it. He casts the same protection spell that Eleonore just used on the other part of the wall.

The blue veins spread out farther than the flame spell.

"Interesting, but still sloppy. You can cast the spells, but you lack the finesse of a well-trained mage. You are like a sponge. I think that I have figured something else out."

Saito looks to Eleonore intringued.

"Those blue veins must keep track of your limit. All mages have a limit as to how much they can cast. I think your runes shows this in conjunction with your spell casting. The tougher the spell, the more you use up. The veins didn't travel as far with flare as they did with the tougher spells you had cast. I still wonder about something though."

She puts a finger to her chin for a moment.

"Let's continue Saito."

He nods.

She continues to show him a variety of spells from the different elements. She had Agnes step in with some of her insight on fighting here and there. Eleonore and Agnes were working together on a fighting style that suited Saito. Saito also shows Eleonore a few other spells he remembered seeing like the wall of earth that Guiche likes to use.

She keeps having him go back to the flame spell as they kept going on.

Throughout the session, the veins kept streaming outward. They were streaming in all directions. As time went on, Saito was also starting to signs of fatigue.

He cast the flame spell again . . . . and again . . . . . . and again.

She stood there patiently watching and correcting him each time he cast a spell.

'What is the point of this?' Both Saito and Agnes thought.

There session got to the point where the veins were pretty far up his neck.

"That will be enough for us today. I don't want to chance pushing you any further for now. I have much to do now. The rest of the session is yours now Agnes. Do be careful. He is probably a little tired from all of the spell casting. Perhaps I will see what I am looking for tomorrow."

"And what are you looking for?" Agnes inquires.

"I will tell you if I see it happen. It's not worth getting hopes up if It won't happen."

Eleonore turns to walk away.

"Hey Eleonore." Saito says to the long haired blond.

She stops and turns her head towards Saito.

"Yes." She says solidly to him

"Thank you for your help today."

"You're. . . welcome." She says a little more warmly.

'I don't need his thanks, but it was nice to hear. I don't get too many genuine thanks from people.' She thinks to herself.

Eleonore walks away.

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After a short break, Agnes and Saito get ready for their end of the training.

'I finally get my time with him.'

They get into battle ready stance.

"Now don't get soft on me because you're a mage now Saito." She says this with a smirk on her face and points her sword at him.

"I wouldn't even think of it with you Agnes. I think you would probably beat the crap out of me if I even tried." He says back to her, also with a grin on his face.

'I really need to find out today. I can't wait any longer. Every time we fight, I feel a little more attached to her.' He thinks to himself.

She charges at him with an upper cut. He swings his sword around, deflecting her attack to the side. He spins around at the same time as he swings so he can attack her back.

She rotates her sword downward and pivots to deflect his attack. She then gives him a shoulder bump to back him up.

Saito recovers quickly and goes in for a downward strike.

Agnes positions her sword horizontally to block his hit. She also goes down to one knee to deaden his forceful strike.

Saito tries to force his strike even further down but is forced to back up when Agnes tries to grab his foot.

"I don't think so." He says defiantly to her.

"Good."

She stands up to continue her assault, slicing at him from all directions.

Saito gets into a lock with her as they both use their other hand to grab at each other's sword hands.

While locked, Saito decides that now is a good time to talk to Agnes.

"So Agnes?"

"What?" She gets out through gritted teeth.

"Are you a lesbian?"

She pauses a moment as she gets a surprised look on her face.

He takes advantage of the situation and gives her a good shove. This makes her lose balance and fall to the ground.

"Where on did you hear that?" She says to him.

'I am going to get whoever told him that information.'

She gets an annoyed look on her face.

He goes in for a strike while she is down.

She uses her leg to shove him away so she can get back to her feet.

"I heard some of the staff say that they overheard some students talking about it." He says to her.

'Why is he asking me at a time like this?'

"Why are you even asking me this? Does it change things if I am or am not?"

"I want to know, and yes, it does matter Agnes."

They clash swords again.

"Why?"

She breaks away from him.

"I have had growing feelings towards you since before our training. So I have to know."

{You shouldn't have feelings for anyone other than your master.}

'Crap. Not now.' He inwardly chastises the other voice.

He charges her.

'Shit! How the hell do I respond to him?' She thinks to herself.

She rolls back with his charge and uses the momentum to flip him.

"Ughhhhh!"

'I love him, but I can't tell him that. I have to keep out of Henrietta's way. She deserves happiness.'

She tries to go in for the strike this time.

"What if I told you I was?" She says this with major strain in her voice.

He rolls out of the way and trips her with his feet.

"Are you really, or are you just trying to hide it for some reason?" He says to her aggravatingly.

He straddles her as their swords lock within inches of their faces.

She rolls over with him so that now she is on top and pressing against him. Their swords end up above their heads.

"Dammit Saito, just drop it!"

'I don't want to tell him a lie.'

They scuffle around a little bit fighting for the dominant position.

She finally ends up in a position where she is more upright on top of him. She releases a hand to grab a dagger, and then she completely releases her sword to do a thrust down.

In reaction, Saito releases his sword to grab her hands. He moves his head to the side and lets the dagger ram into the ground.

She ends up fully pressed against him again.

He puts his hands on her stomach and whispers into her ear.

"I need to know your answer?"

The runes on his back glow.

"Gust of wind!"

A blast of air sends her flying up.

He gets to his feet and his runes start to glow again. He uses levitation to let her down gently. He lets her down into his arms bridal style as she puts her arms gently around his neck.

"That was awful tricky of you Saito."

"All is fair, remember?" He says to her.

She gives him a hug, runs a hand into the back of his hair, and whispers into his ear.

"Saito. My happiness and my interest for a particular man don't matter. My only concern can only be for Henrietta and that you have good intentions for her. Now please Saito. No more questions."

She wipes away a tear before he can notice.

'Damn.' They both think to themselves.

He lets her down disappointedly.

"I think that will be it for today Saito. I am tired."

"But. . "

"I said I am tired." She states in a sterner tone as she walks away without even looking back at him.

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 **A/N:** And another chapter is done. Thank you so much for reading my story.

Based upon what I saw in the series, I always felt that Agnes regarded Henrietta in this way. Agnes would put everything aside to secure Henrietta's happiness and safety. How long can she hold this up though? Only time will tell (Of course, I know).

Just so you know, I have updated all of the previous chapters and put a V1.1 at the bottom of each of those chapters. Most of the changes were minor. Mostly punctuation fixes and minor word changes. The biggest changes I made were in chapter 5. I added a couple extra lines. One of them was towards the end of the chapter where Tabitha makes a declaration to herself.

V 1.1


	9. Chapter 9: Who Are You

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

The truth shall set you free.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Nine

Who are you?

After they eat their breakfast, Tabitha gives Saito a concerned look.

"What's wrong Tabitha?"

"I need to tell you something very important and I am not sure how you are going to take it."

Saito gives her a slightly worried look.

"You're not going to tell me that you have a whip hanging around somewhere if I get out of line are you?"

Tabitha crosses her arms, cants her head to the side, and gives him a slightly annoyed look.

"I am being serious with you Saito."

He holds up his hands in an apologetic way.

"Okay! I am sorry. I wasn't trying to make fun of what you said."

She uncrosses her arms.

"I know, I am just nervous about this, but I need to tell you because we are a part of each other now."

Saito changes his look to a serious one.

"I'm listening." Saito says adamantly to the petite, blue hared girl.

"I am not Tabitha."

His jaw drops.

"Huh? You're joking, right?"

She shakes her head and gets a sad look on her face.

"My real name is Charlotte."

Saito listens intently as Tabitha explains her story to him. She tells him about the death of her father and her uncle, Joseph, taking over as king of Galia. She also tells him how her mother drank a poisoned drink that was meant for her. She explained that her mother became mentally ill from the drink and has referred to a doll as Charlotte and that is why she calls herself Tabitha instead. She lets him know that her uncle keeps her out of the country by being in the school and sends her on unimaginable missions.

'What kind of a man does this to their own niece?' He thinks to himself.

He gets up and gives her a strong, but comforting hug.

'I wonder if this is why she shuts people out.'

She hides her face into him and begins to cry. She didn't mean to cry like this, but he had broken through her emotional dam over the past week that she had put up to shield herself.

He strokes her hair while she lets it all out.

He is the first person she has really talked to about this. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of her as she told him. She also felt very vulnerable doing this, but it was ok because it was with Saito.

He eventually pulls her away. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy. He gives her a soft kiss on the lips.

"I don't know why you were worried about telling me. I hope you didn't think that I would have been mad at you. That took a lot of courage to tell me something like that. We will get this taken care of. I don't care what it takes to get this fixed. I am here for you all the way."

She smiles after hearing him say that and they share another kiss.

"Hey! Guess what?" He says in a lighter tone to her.

"Hmmmmm, What?"

"Today is the last day of your punishment. Tomorrow you can start getting out again."

"I don't know. . . " She says teasingly to him.

She puts her hands on her hips.

"I was starting to get used to being pampered by you and having private meals with you."

She smirks.

He blushes, and crosses his arms.

"In all honesty though, I really have enjoyed everything Saito. Meals aren't going to be the same if I am not able to share them with you anymore."

"Maybe we can figure something out for that too. I bet Siesta won't be too happy about not seeing me at meal time too."

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While Saito is out on his run, he reflects.

'I wonder how things are going to be from here on out. So much has happened over the past week that it feels like an eternity has gone by. I get saved from Louise and lose my Gandalfr ability. I get asked for a date by Henrietta. I find out I have feelings for Agnes, but she refuses to show her feelings. I became Tabitha's familiar and fell in love with her too. Siesta still shows her feelings to me still and I have been training Agnes and Eleonore.'

{Tabitha should be the only one you have feelings for. Even if she seems ok with knowing that you have feelings for others, do you think she is really ok with it?}

'Ugh! And how could I forget about that too?'

He stops for a moment and looks at his hands.

'I can cast magic. This is something right out of an anime. I wish I knew what to do next. I think I am still going to go on the path that Henrietta and Agnes were leading me on. It's just that now I have the added bonus of casting magic and not just fighting.'

He gets back to running.

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When Saito approaches Eleonore and Agnes, he notices a third person. When he realizes who it is, he gives a smile and a wave.

"Hello Colbert! What brings you here?" Saito says to his older friend.

"Eleonore told me about what you did yesterday and she figured I would want to see for myself."

"I hope you didn't mind me inviting him Saito." Eleonore states to Saito with a look that indicates that she is making sure it really was ok.

He nods.

"I don't mind if it is him." Saito says to Eleonore.

"That's good. Besides, I might need him for assistance."

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face, but quickly dismisses it. He then gives Agnes a smile. She merely nods in response.

'I hope she isn't still upset from yesterday.'

"Saito, take off your shirt again." Eleonore orders Saito.

'I know she is saying that so she can see the runes, but it is still kind of weird hearing her say that.' Agnes and Saito both think this.

He nods and takes his shirt off.

"First, cast the protection spell on this wall." Eleonore says to him.

He incants the spell and touches the wall with one of his hands.

Colbert watched the runes glow in amazement while Saito cast the spell.

Eleonore looks at Colbert.

"I cast that spell yesterday on the wall and he copied it." Eleonore tells Colbert.

Colbert looks on.

"Let's begin with the flame spell again. " Eleonore says this to Saito.

"Okay, but I still don't understand where this is going." He says in an unsure tone to Eleonore.

"Just do it Saito."

He points his sword to the wall. His runes glow and the veins go out minorly.

"Flame!"

A flare shoots out from the sword as usual.

"Better than you did yesterday, but still not what I am looking for." Eleonore tells Saito.

Colbert gets up and gives Saito some pointers on the spell.

After Colbert sits back down, Eleonore instructs him to do it again. And he does so, with similar results.

And again.

After the third time she decided to change things up.

"Let me show you something within my realm of specialty. Please step out of the way Saito." Eleonore says to him.

He steps out of the way and leans against the wall right next to Agnes.

She looks at him out of the corner of her eye and gives him a little smirk.

'I kind of like having him next to me. I hope we can put yesterday behind us. If he doesn't ask me any questions again, then I should be able to keep my cool.' Agnes thinks.

Eleonore steps into the middle of the area.

Saito's runes start to glow as Eleonore starts to cast her spell.

"May the waters rise up. . ."

Water starts to shoot up from the ground in the form of 5 columns of water as thick as a coffee cup.

"To form a barrier around me, and lash out at my enemies."

The columns of water swirl around Eleonore, waving back and forth.

"Dancing streams!"

"Wow! That is so cool." Saito says excitedly.

He gets up from his spot on the wall and approaches Eleonore to get a closer look at the streams.

"Wait! Saito! No!" Eleonore and Colbert yell at him to try and stop him.

A couple of the columns lash out at Saito like a whip. It welts him and it knocks him off of his feet. They leave a couple red streaks on his arm and torso.

"Ahhhhh." He lets out a little yelp of pain as he backs away.

Agnes goes by him.

"Are you ok Saito?" Agnes asks him.

"Man that hurt."

Agnes crosses her arms.

"Now you know better than to approach without knowing what the spell does." Agnes scolds him.

He holds up his hands.

"I certainly got the point."

"Please be careful Saito. You are lucky that you fared as well as you did. I was going to explain it to you, but you closed in before I could say something." Eleonore tries to explain.

"I'm sorry. It just seemed so cool that I wanted to get a closer look." He says to Eleonore.

"I might not like what happened between you and my sister, but I am here to teach you. I am not here to hurt you."

He nods.

After Agnes gives his body another look over, she goes back to her spot along the wall.

"This spell is a defense spell because it protects you from someone approaching, but it is also an attack spell because it lashes out on it's own and does damage. It eventually does run out though. They will disappear over time. They will disappear as they deal enough damage, or fire spells cancel out the columns."

Saito puts his hand to his chin.

"What makes this spell nice is that you can focus other spells on a target while the spell protects you from other targets. Or you can walk to a target and use your barrier to attack an apponent."

She dismisses the spell.

"Now you Saito."

They switch spots.

His runes start to glow.

"May the waters rise up to form a barrier around me, and lash out at my enemies. Dancing streams!" He recites the spell.

Just like it did with Eleonore, 5 columns of water form around Saito.

"Well, we know he is at least a triangle mage." Colbert says to Eleonore.

"Very good Saito. Even if they are sloppy, you have even been able to cast higher level spells. Had you just been a dot mage, then there would have only been able to bring up 3 columns." Eleonore states.

"Is that possible?" Saito asks Eleonore.

"There is a lot that we are unsure of about your runes. If it weren't for your runes, then I could possibly say that you have a natural talent for it that just needs to be refined." Eleonore starts to say.

"But there are still too many questions that need to be answered before we can really say anything." Colbert finishes.

Eleonore nods in agreement.

"Now let me show you another spell." Eleonore continues on.

Saito's runes glow again as Eleonore recites the spell.

"May the waters around me be used as weapons to shoot down my enemies. Water cannon!"

Water spins around to form multiple balls surrounding Eleonore.

She points at the wall and one of the balls shoots at the wall leaving a small trail of water as a tail. The ball explodes as it hits the wall. Then she readjusts her wand a handful of times and she fires off the other balls at the wall. Each ball exploding as they hit.

"Now cast that spell while your dancing streams is going." Eleonore instructs him.

He nods.

His runes start to glow and the veins extend out further. He recites the spell. The waves from his first spell maneuver around the orbs as they form.

"As you can see, your defensive spell compensates for the other spell that you cast. Now fire at the wall." Eleonore instructs Saito again.

This time he uses the hand that isn't holding Derflinger and shapes it like a gun. He then jerks his hand as if he was shooting with it. The orbs shoot at the areas where Saito had pointed his finger. The streams warped around the paths of the orbs.

Eleonore actually smiles while she watches Saito do this. She was enjoying watching him cast the spells from her main domain. She decides not to stay like that for too long as her expression changes back to her normal face.

"Now dismiss dancing streams and perform the flame spell again." Eleonore orders Saito.

He dismisses the spell and points Derf at the wall. He tries to remember everything that Eleonore and Colbert instructed him about the spell and makes some minor adjustments.

"Flame!" He calls out.

He cast the spell nearly perfectly this time, but there was a major difference from the other times he case the spell.

His runes did not glow this time.

Eleonore and Colert stare in shock. Agnes jumps off of the wall and also stares in amazement. She didn't have to be a mage to understand what that meant.

Saito sees everyone staring at him in shock.

"What? Did I do something really wrong?" He asks all of them.

"Umm. Quite the opposite Saito. You did something very interesting and good." Colbert starts to answer.

"That is what I was trying to see would occur." Eleonore adds.

"What did I do?" Saito asks as he starts to get impatient.

"You cast that spell without the use of your runes." Agnes states to Saito.

"Just to be sure, cast the spell again. Be sure to do it the exact same way that you just did." Eleonore asks Saito.

"Okay."

He does everything exactly as he just did it and performs the spell without his runes glowing.

"Saito, do you know what this means?" Eleonore asks him.

He scratches the back of his head.

"I honestly don't know where you are going with this." Saito says in defeat.

"This means that you cast that spell naturally, and without the aid of your runes." Eleonore informs him.

"This means that either you always had the ability to cast spells and didn't show it 'til now. Or that the runes gave you the ability to learn how to cast magic." Colbert adds.

"If it is the former, then there are many questions surrounding you, but we just don't know." Eleonore finishes.

"Do you know what else this means Saito?" Colbert asks Saito in a teacher like tone.

Saito puts his hands in the air.

"What?"

Eleonore crosses her arms in impatience.

"It means that we are going to try to get you in as an unofficial student here. That is part of the reason why I had Colbert here. I wanted him as a witness to this. I wasn't sure if this was going to happen, but I wanted to be prepared." Eleonore informs her pupil.

"Why waste your talent?" Colbert says with a smile to his young friend.

"Wow! Do you really think I can?" Saito says excitedly to the two teachers.

They both nod.

"But what about my training with Agnes?" He asks with concern.

Agnes perks up a little bit when she hears Saito ask about his training with her.

Eleonore shrugs.

"What about it? You can still train with her, and besides, right now standard classes have been halted because of the war."

Eleonore starts to gather her stuff and looks over to Colbert.

"Let's get going. We need to discuss this with Principle Osmond." Eleonore says to Colbert.

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After a short break Agnes continues her one on one training with Saito.

"Saito."

"Yes."

"I hope it doesn't happen, but I can tell by the way you are that you are going to end up in situations where you are going to face incalculable odds. I have a feeling that you will end up fighting a life or death situation where you are against many opponents by yourself. So I wanted to give you a few pointers in those situations." Agnes tells him with concern in her voice.

"Well I hope it doesn't happen either." He says back with a mildly joking tone.

"I am being serious Saito. I don't want you to die on the battlefield." She says as she grabs his shirt and gets close to him.

Feeling her seriousness and concern he puts his hands up.

"Okay Agnes. I am sorry. I understand what you are saying."

She lets go.

"The first thing you need to do is remember why you are out there, who you are you protecting, and who is possibly waiting for you when you are done. If you lose sight of that, you are sure to be defeated against the odds."

He nods in understanding.

"When you are out there by yourself, you have nothing to hold you back. It's you against everyone else. You can't hesitate, and you can't fear hold you back. It is either kill or be killed. Let your fighting instinct take over. Keep moving at all cost. If you stay put for too long, you could give your enemies an opportunity to attack you. Keep a cool mind. If you become too emotional then you will act rash and make mistakes that could cost you your life. Nothing is fair in a fight like that, so you may have to fight dirty back. You have to use everything that you have at hand to your advantage. Use your enemy as a shield. Turn an attack into a defense, and turn a defense into an attack. If you are being attacked in multiple directions, then find a way to block in one direction and attack in another direction. Become a fighting demon, but remember not to lose your humanity in the process."

"Thanks Agnes."

She crosses her arms.

"You are not allowed to die on me Saito."

They train for a while, but Saito notices her mind isn't here. He stops after he nearly stabs her and had to throw his sword to the side before doing so.

"Are you okay Agnes? What is on your mind?"

"I am sorry Saito. I am on a hunt for the people who attacked my village 20 years ago. Richemont had told me that I would find what I am looking for in an archive, but he didn't say where."

She also tells him the story of what exactly happened to her village.

"Why don't you check here? I heard Colbert say that he has had to go down in it before."

She takes interest in what Saito says.

"Thank you Saito. I will certainly address this. Unfortunately, I am going to have to wrap this up early Saito. I need to be with the queen in the morning. She has an important meeting tomorrow with Cardinal Mazarin."

"Very well Agnes I wish you and Henrietta well."

She smiles at him.

"You too Saito."

She turns around to walk away.

"Hey Agnes!"

"Yes Saito?"

"What are you going to do when you find out who was involved?"

"Get my revenge."

She walks away with a worried Saito staring at her back.

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While Agnes is heading back, she gets stopped by one of her other musketeer members.

"Ummmmm Agnes?"

"What is it?"

"Why are you training Saito?"

"What kind of a question is this? I am training him so he become a better fighter. Why are you asking?"

"Well I thought that you might have been training him so you could get close to him and kill him."

Agnes gets a shocked look on her face.

"Where in the world did you get that idea?" Agnes starts to become impatient with this.

The musketeer starts touching her index fingers together.

"Well if you're not trying to kill him so you can get close to Henrietta, then would mind going out with me. I heard you were into girls and I really like you."

Agnes stops dead in her tracks. She starts to get red with anger.

'I am going to severely hurt whoever started this. This has become ridiculous.'

She crosses her arms, and continues to talk to the musketeer.

"I am sorry, but I do not share your interest. I do not know where you heard that, but I am NOT a lesbian."

The girl starts to cry.

Agnes puts a hand on her own face.

'I can't take any more of this.'

"I am so sorry captain."

"Please just walk away and I will forget this happened, but eventually, I am going to ask you where you heard that."

The musketeer nods and runs away.

"When I get my hands on whoever started this."

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 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading my story.

Next chapter will bring us back into the anime.

V 1.1


	10. Chapter 10: The Archive

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Amazing news* – This story has had over 10,000 views. Thank you everyone!

This chapter corresponds with season 2 episode 7,

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Ten

The Archive

He has been doing a lot more training over the past couple weeks.

The training with Agnes has not been every day though. She has had to spend more time with Henrietta since she signed the war declaration two weeks ago with Cardinal Mazarin against Albion. She really didn't want to, but she did it in fear of a coup d'etat against her.

There were some days where Agnes had some of the other musketeers spar with him so that they could gain some extra training too. They were impressed with how far Saito progressed through his training with Agnes.

Agnes also took advantage of the fact that he is a mage. She decided to train against him using his mage abilities.

Saito became an unofficial student thanks to everyone's efforts, but it won't start until things settle down.

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Tabitha and Saito were walking around the city with their arms linked like he was escorting her. She had a light smile on her face. She has been enjoying walking around like this with Saito.

They saw a bunch of people surrounding a note posted on a wall. Many of the people were happy and cheering.

"I wonder what that is all about." Saito asks Tabitha.

Tabitha walks over to it.

"It says that the allied forces between Tristan and Germania had a successful victory against Albion. We sent in 500 ships with very few losses." She tells him.

"It's a shame that she was backed into a corner to sign that damn war declaration." Saito says angrily.

"I know that you don't like the way people do things around here Saito." Tabitha says to Saito, trying to comfort him.

"I've also got a bad feeling about this war. We had a win, but something is bothering me and I can't put a finger on it."

'I think that there might be a trip I might need to make. If this takes a turn for the worst, then I have to be able to keep everyone safe. I can't worry Tabitha about it though.'

"So far, things are looking good though." She says to him.

"I agree, but something still just doesn't. . . . feel. . . . right."

He continues walking, but eventually stops again and gets an excited look on his face and instantly jumps over to a vendor.

"Hello young lad, you have a good eye. This is a finely crafted sailor shirt." The vendor says to Saito.

"This is so cool. I bet this would look so nostalgic on Siesta."

Tabitha puts her hands on her hips and gives Saito a funny look.

Saito waves his hands in defense.

"With Siesta having black hair and Japanese descent, this would be very nostalgic on her. See back where I came from, the female students would wear an outfit like this for school along with a black skirt like the ones you wear."

"I see."

'He must still miss his home. Why not indulge him this time.'

They pick up the shirt and a black skirt to give to Siesta.

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Tabitha and Saito were on the grounds doing their own training, when Saito overhears Agnes yelling.

"I had permission from the queen! This is ridiculous!" Agnes was yelling and flailing her arms around.

Saito walks over to Agnes with Tabitha.

"What's wrong Agnes? You told me that you were going to go down to the archive today." He tells his sparring partner.

"I was going to, but Osmond told me no because I didn't have the proper paperwork. I had permission from Henrietta to go into the archive. I wanted to take care of this before things got too involved with the war. Henrietta is going to go to the battle front, and I will be accompanying her. Osmond said that it's too dangerous. The archive was created over a thousand years ago and there are spells protecting the archive. It could mean death if a person is careless." Agnes tells the pair angrily.

She crosses her arms.

"I need to take care of this today!" Agnes states as a matter of fact.

Saito puts his hand on his chin.

"I don't recommend just blowing up the entrance. What if we get Eleonore's help?" He says to the other two women.

Tabitha nods.

"She should be able unlock the door." Tabitha says in agreement.

"Thank you both."

"It's no problem Agnes." Saito says back to Agnes.

Tabitha nods in agreement to what Saito said.

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Agnes leads Eleonore, Tabitha, and Saito to the girl's bathroom.

This was noticed by another woman unknown to the group.

"Ummmmmmm, where are we going?" Saito asks in a sheepish tone.

"Believe me, I don't understand either, but the entrance to the archive is through the girl's bathroom." Agnes says back to Saito.

Tabitha just has an un-phased look on her face.

'I wonder why it is through the bathroom. I wouldn't put it past the designer to have had a perverted reason for doing that. Of course, who would think to go through the girl's bathroom to go into an important archive.' Saito thinks to himself.

They eventually get to another door and Eleonore analyzes the lock.

"The locks are very simple, but you need to understand the combination an order to unlock all three at the same time." Eleonore states to the group.

"So have you figured it out?" Agnes says impatiently.

'I am kind of worried about Agnes' obsession for revenge. I hope this doesn't lead her down the wrong path. I like her too much to see her destroy herself.' Saito inwardly tells himself.

Eleonore points her wand at the door.

It can't be seen, but Saito's runes glow while Eleonore recites the spell.

"I bid the bind on this lock to undo itself."

All of the locks unlock and the door opens.

"You're amazing Eleonore!" Saito says.

Eleonore smiles at his comment.

'He really needs to stop that. I might actually start to think of him as a friend.' Eleonore secretly admits to herself.

Tabitha looks a little gloomy.

As if reading her mind, Saito whispers into Tabitha's ear.

"Don't look so gloomy. I think you're absolutely amazing too."

She blushes and perks up.

"Thank you all! I am indebted to you. I will carry on from here." Agnes tells the others.

"I didn't just unlock the door for you. I am interested in looking into some of the research from experiments." Eleonore retorts.

"But the danger?" Agnes adds back to Eleonore.

Saito crosses his arms.

"Then better reason for all to go." Tabitha says to Agnes.

"And I won't let you do this alone either Agnes." Saito also adds.

'Besides, I need to keep an eye on her.' Saito addresses to himself.

Agnes smiles to everyone.

"Alright. Thank you." Agnes says.

They hear some footsteps and an extra light appears.

"Where do you all think you are going?" Colbert says to the group.

Everyone looks in shock.

"I thought Principal Osmond denied your request." He says to Agnes with slight anger in his tone.

"I have no time to wait and I don't fear what danger lies inside." She says to Colbert and dashes through the door.

"Agnes!" Colbert tries to stop her.

The rest of the group follows her.

'I guess it is too late now.' Colbert thinks and follows after them.

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As they are walking, Saito explains to Colbert that Agnes is on a quest for revenge.

Colbert gets a concerned look on his face.

"I need to get this done. Once we capture Albion's port Henrietta will be heading to the front line. She doesn't want to be watching from safety while everyone else is risking their lives."

Saito put a hand to his chin.

"Henrietta." Saito says softly, but Tabitha hears him.

He gets a concerned look on his face.

'I don't like this war, but I don't know what I will do if either Henrietta or Agnes gets hurt on the front line. I've got that bad feeling in my gut about this. I have to make sure they are protected.'

{Tabitha should be the only one that you should be worried about.}

He takes a deep breath and ignores the voice.

Tabitha grips his arm to comfort him. She could tell something is bothering him.

"Talk later?" She asks him

He nods.

"Stop. Footsteps." Agnes starts looking around their surroundings.

They look into the direction of the footsteps just to see Siesta walking and waving toward them.

Saito gets a huge grin on his face as Siesta runs over to him and gives him a huge hug.

"Do you like it Saito?" Siesta says to him.

She was wearing the outfit that he gave her earlier.

He nods with a grin on his face.

"What are you doing here? And why are you wearing that?" Eleonore asks Siesta with an annoyed tone.

"Sorry Eleonore. I guess she really wanted to show me this outfit on her."

He explains its importance to Eleonore.

"You better stay close now Siesta. This really isn't a place for you."

She nods.

"I'm sorry Saito."

He shakes his head.

"It's ok. Just be careful."

"Well, I am not turning around. So you keep her close Saito." Agnes tells him.

Siesta looks over at Tabitha, worried that she might be intruding.

Tabitha just gives a light smile and nod.

'This is not the place for her. She might get in the way. She did put that outfit on for him though, and Agnes is right, she should be close to him for safety.

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As they walk, Colbert talks with Saito some more.

"So this outfit isn't for war?"

"No. It's what young girls wear for school." Saito tells Colbert.

"Do the young girls go to war?"

"No. Young people don't go to war."

"That's good. I hate to see the young become casualties of war. It pains me to no avail. I would like to see this place that you come from Saito."

"It's your role to teach them to fight for their kingdom though." Agnes intrudes.

"That's ridiculous. You haven't seen the atrocities and horrors of war."

"I have! 20 years ago my whole village of D'Angleterre was massacred and burned to the ground. It was led by Richemont to suppress a revolt that never existed.

'It can't be her.' Colbert thinks.

"Friends and family were burned alive, and I was the only one that survived. I was carried out but a man that got a scar on his back from trying to save me. Richemont is dead, but the ones who carried out his orders are still alive. The documents with their names might be here.

They continue walking and eventually come across the archive building. There is a narrow bridge that leads up to the building.

Siesta nearly slips off of the ledge near the bridge and grabs onto Saito.

"Be careful Siesta." Saito says.

As they slowly cross the bridge, Colbert talks with Agnes.

"So what are you going to do when you find out who it is?" Colbert says to Agnes.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Then what happens after you get your revenge?"

"I live and die serving the queen."

"So after surviving what happened in your village, you are going to waste your life on revenge and war? Isn't there something else to life for? Isn't there someone you love?

Agnes and Saito both pause in their walking.

Agnes glances back to Colbert.

"I. . . " She hesitates answering.

'Maybe he might have a point, but I have been agonizing over this for too long.'

"can't waste my time with that." She finishes what she started.

Colbert gets a disappointed look on his face.

'Tsk. What is she holding back?' Both Saito and Colbert have the same thought.

They get in front of the building.

Saito puts a hand on Agnes' shoulder to stop her from walking in.

"There is an inscription above the door. I can only read bits and pieces of it." Saito says aloud.

Tabitha smiles inwardly knowing that her teaching Saito how to read is starting to help.

Eleonore reads the inscription.

"It basically says that you can't edit, take, or destroy documents. It also says that you cannot use magic or you will face the calamity of death."

"Well, I guess that is a good way of keeping people from tampering with these documents." Saito states.

"Good deduction Saito." Eleonore praises Saito.

"Let's proceed carefully" Tabitha adds.

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Inside of the building are massive bookshelves with tons of books and documents as far as the eye can see.

They try looking in the more recent sections of the archive. Saito tries, but he isn't much help considering he just started learning to read their language recently.

Colbert catches Saito eyeing Agnes every so often, and vice versa.

"Do you like Her Saito?" Colbert asks bluntly.

"Huh!" Saito says surprised.

"You heard me Saito. Is something going on between you two?"

"I do like her, but I can't figure out what is going on in her head."

{Your master is the one that is most important to you.}

"Then I hope you can get through to her. Somebody gave her a chance for life, and she is wasting it with the foolishness of revenge and war."

Tabitha overheard the two whispering to each other, but doesn't let on.

After a few moments Tabitha finds a book and walks over to Agnes.

"D'Angleterre?" Tabitha asks Agnes.

Agnes nods.

Tabitha shows the book to Agnes.

Agnes slowly reaches for the book.

'Could this be it? Could this be what I have been waiting 20 years to find out?'

She starts to search through the book, ignoring everything else around her at this point.

Siesta stumbled by Eleonore and fell while holding a stack of books.

"Don't meddle with stuff you don't understand!" Eleonore scolds Siesta.

Eleonore sighs and uses a spell to put the books back where they belonged.

"Ummmmmmm Eleonore?" Siesta tries to get her attention.

"What?"

"Didn't you just use magic?" Siesta tells Eleonore with a solid tone that said that she knew what she was talking about.

The room starts to shake.

"Everyone get out of here!" Saito says to everyone.

Colbert stays behind when he notices Agnes not budging.

Bookcases start to move in an attempt to crush people that are inside.

"Agnes! Let's go! You don't want to die in here." Colbert tries to reason with her.

Agnes finds that the name of the person in charge was ripped out of the book she was reading.

"It must be somewhere else! I have to find it." Agnes says, ignoring everything that is going on around them.

"Agnes! We have to go!" Saito says this as he grabs her hand and pulls her along.

As they try to exit a book case clips her ankle.

Colbert and Saito help Agnes out of the building.

"Hurry! The bridge is breaking apart!" Eleonore yells out to the trio.

"Saito help me."

Saito helps get Agnes on Colbert's back.

As they run, Agnes gets a feeling of déjà vu while she leans against Colbert's back.

The bridge starts to collapse behind them.

Eleonore sees this and takes a worried step too close to the edge near the bridge. This causes her to slip, and start to fall.

"Eleonore! No!" Saito shouts out.

He stops running and focuses on Eleonore.

He uses a levitation spell to get her back on the ledge just as the bridge collapses underneath him. He takes a leap to the ledge. It looks like he was about to miss it, but the Siesta grabs his hand. Saito was hanging off of the ledge with Siesta holding onto him.

'She is pretty strong.'

Tabitha also uses a levitation spell to help him up.

Tabitha and Siesta both hug Saito and ask if he is ok.

"Yes. Thanks to the both of you." He says with a smile on his face.

This causes both Tabitha and Siesta to blush.

"What do you do that made you so strong Siesta?" Saito asks Siesta.

She shrugs.

"I only have my work around the school."

Eleonore clears her throat to get Saito's attention.

"Thank you Saito. I feel silly for slipping like that. Had it not been for me, then you wouldn't have fallen either." Eleonore says in an aside manner.

"I guess I am indebted to you Mr. Colbert. You saved my life."

He shakes his head.

"I just want you to live your life Agnes. Maybe he can help you." Colbert tells Agnes softly.

Agnes looks at Saito for a moment and then looks away.

'I wish it were possible.' Agnes inwardly adds.

"You handled yourself quite well out there Mr. Colbert." Saito says to Colbert.

"Oh! I was just too scared to really think otherwise."

"It's a shame what happened to the archive." Saito says to the group.

"I have a feeling that it will eventually return to normal after some time." Eleonore states.

'Yes it will.' Colbert thinks to himself as they walk away.

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 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading my story.

V 1.1


	11. Chapter 11: Hostile Takeover

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

I am glad to be able to get this chapter out despite the fact that this is crunch time with finals.

This chapter corresponds with season 2 episodes 8 and 9,

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Eleven

Hostile Takeover

Eleonore releases the ropes from Louise and takes the bag off of her using magic.

"Sister! What are we doing here?" Louise yells at her sister.

Louise's hands are in fists and at her sides.

Eleonore stands in the doorway of what appears to be a cell in the school. Her arms are crossed and she is holding the ropes and bag that were used to subdue Louise.

"You are going to stay here a while 'til you cool your head." Eleonore says to her sister with a stern look on her face.

"But why? I didn't do anything." Louise tries to retort.

"Saito told me what you said yesterday to Agnes."

Louise gets a shocked look on her face.

'Why did Saito tell her that?' Louise thinks to herself.

"Saito was there helping Agnes to train and prepare the musketeers for the upcoming battle, and he heard you talking with Agnes. Agnes told you that the queen was heading to the front line in seven days and you said that you wanted to join her." Eleonore retells what Saito told her.

"So what!" Louise retorts back.

Eleonore and Louise both have their hands on their hips and glaring at each other.

"I am the only one that can protect her." Louise says to her eldest sister.

"How do you plan on doing that? Can you honestly tell me that you have a plethora of spells at your disposal?" Eleonore tries to reason with Louise.

"I have my void magic and I have my explosion spell."

"You are being ridiculous Louise. You have no idea how harsh war really is. As your older sister I cannot let you go to the front line."

"I know I can do this. I can be useful!" Louise yells at her sister.

"What has come over you Louise? Why do you want to do this so badly?" Eleonore asks as she tries to figure out her sister's reasoning.

"I have to prove myself!"

"Why!" Eleonore starts to yell back.

"For duty. For honor. For redemption. For pride. For approval. . . " Louise starts to rant.

'For approval?' Eleonore asks herself.

"Enough! I can't let you go." Eleonore interrupts Louise's rant

Footsteps come up behind Eleonore.

"Please listen to your sister Louise." Colbert interjects.

"Yes. Please talk some sense into this impertinent child." Eleonore says to Colbert.

Eleonore closes the door and locks it with Louise inside.

"I am leaving this with you." Eleonore gives Louise's wand to Colbert and starts to walk away.

"This isn't fair." Louise says as she tries to pull the small set of bars on the wooden door to her cell.

"Please Louise. She cares about you. She is only trying to protect you." Colbert tries to reason with Louise.

"I want to do everything I can. I know I can defeat the enemy."

"So you want to go to the front line and kill the enemy."

Louise gets a shocked expression on her face.

"You want to kill all of those people for the sake of duty and pride? That is what you would be doing. You would be committing murder. You shouldn't have to go through that. I don't want to see any of you go through that."

"Mr. Colbert."

"I will be back to check on you in a little bit."

Louise slumps down.

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An air ship with a team of mercenaries on it approaches the school. The leader is a man named Menneville. He is a tall and muscular man with burn scars all over his body. His left eye is practically all white and he has a patch over his right eye. He wears a tight sleeveless shirt, a tattered purple cape and grey pants.

He was sent to the academy by a woman named Sheffield.

"It's a shame that we were sent to a school full of brats" Says one of Menneville's men.

"I heard there is a troop of nothing but women guarding the school." Says another.

"Then let's take them alive and have our way." Says a third member.

The trio starts laughing.

"You lowlifes. I don't care if it's women or not. I will watch them all burn to death." Menneville says to his men with a smile on his face.

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"Saito. Wake up." Tabitha says to Saito while nudging him.

"What's wrong?" He says back to her groggily.

They hear a fire spell going off in the background.

He gets out of bed, gets dressed and pulls out Derflinger.

"If someone is coming, then I will face them here."

Tabitha puts a hand on his shoulder.

"No. Too dangerous. Too many people could be used as hostages and there isn't enough time to wake everyone up. Let's get out of here and come up with a plan."

"All right, but let's at least get Kirche." Saito says back to her.

Tabitha nods.

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Outside, where the fire spell was used.

Menneville and his men managed to get a surprise attack on a couple of the guards and took them out.

"That was too easy." Menneville says to his men.

A third guard comes out from the shadows and attacks one of Menneville's men. The man blocks one strike, but she manages to cut the man before Menneville slams her away with his metal mace.

"How dare you get cut by a mere peasant?" Menneville scolds his underling.

Menneville uses a fire spell on the musketeer.

'Who trained her so well?' Menneville wondered.

"Let's move on with the plan." Menneville announces.

His men take off for the dorms to catch the girls off guard and take them hostage. Some of his men also go to the guards' quarters to also take them by surprise.

Agnes and the other musketeers manage to take out the ones that went to their quarters.

As Agnes and the musketeers that are left regroup, they find out that all of the girls, staff, and faculty were taken to the dining hall.

"At least they weren't killing them. Was Saito among the captured?" Agnes asks.

"No ma'am." One of the musketeers says to Agnes.

'I hope he is ok. I could use his help.'

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Inside of the dining hall, Menneville sits and sips on some wine.

Everyone is tied up and sitting on the floor.

"Albion must be getting desperate if they're having you attack a school instead of being on the battle front." Julio says to Menneville.

"If you are trying to spite me boy, then it won't work. I don't care as long as I am getting paid."

"So you are just a mercenary doing anything for money." Julio says to him.

"Don't provoke him Julio." Osmond (Who is sitting right next to Julio) tries to tell Julio.

Menneville glares at Julio.

"Don't test my patience boy. If everyone stays quiet and minds your manners, then no one is going to die." Menneville starts to say.

He gets up and walks over to a girl that is starting to cry.

"But keep in mind that I have no problem burning anyone to ashes if you get out of line." He finishes.

The girl tries to hold back her cries.

If it is just a hostage you need, then just keep me and let the others go. I am the principal at this school." Osmond tells Menneville.

"Do you honestly believe than the government will listen to any demands if we just have you?" Menneville retorts back to Osmond and starts laughing.

"Let me up. I wish to speak to your leader." Eleonore says to one of Mennevilles men.

'I have to get these children out of here. At least they don't have Louise. I guess it paid off to lock her up.' Eleonore thinks to herself.

"Me too." Cattleya adds.

The man brings them both to Menneville.

"Then take us. We are daughters of Duke Vailliere. He is one of the nobles in charge of this kingdom, and I am the eldest." Eleonore states to Menneville.

Cattleya nods.

"Please let the students leave." Cattleya adds.

"Sit down you fools. No. even the three of you will not do. All of the girls here are daughters of nobles from all over the country. The kingdom will surely bend to Albion's demands." He says defiantly to the Valliere sisters.

Eleonore grits her teeth.

'How dare Albion use such tasteless tactics?' Eleonore thinks to herself.

Colbert had seen this from a ledge just outside a second story window. He leaves after he notices Agnes and the musketeer coming.

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Agnes heads for the main entrance to the dining hall with a few of her musketeers. She sends some of the others with explosives around to some of the windows. She is hoping to use them as a distraction so that she can rush in there and take down the enemy when they explode.

She stands at the side of the doorway.

"To the Albion men inside. I am Agnes, captain of the queen's musketeers. We have the place surrounded. I wish to hear your demands, but keep in mind that this is only an institute of magic. There are neither weapons here, nor is this a political hub." Agnes tries to start negotiations while the other musketeers get things ready.

"At least she realizes that we have hostages in here, but. . . " Menneville starts to say.

He quickly turns around fires a fireball through his mace at a second story window where one of the musketeers was setting up an explosive.

The musketeer falls to the ground from the explosion.

The other musketeer that was at ground level setting up another bomb ran over to check on the other musketeer.

Menneville fires off another fireball in the exact section of wall where the musketeer was behind. It was as if he sensed her location.

"She was foolish to think that she could get the drop on me." Menneville finishes his sentence.

Agnes hears the two explosions go off.

"The bombs went off before I gave the signal." Agnes says aloud.

She points at the guards around her at the door.

"Stay here. I will check it out." Agnes says and rushes off to the side of the building.

She finds two of her musketeers on the ground barely alive.

She grits her teeth.

'I will kill him for what he has done.' She thinks to herself

Menneville starts to laugh.

"Just an institute of magic. Surely you jest. If this was just an academy, then why would the queen have her musketeers here?" Menneville says aloud.

He looks at Julio.

"Perhaps I should show them we mean business and start by killing one of you."

He points his mace at Julio.

"Stop!" Agnes yells from the hole that Menneville made.

Agnes rushes in and the other musketeers rush in through the main door.

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Tabitha, Kirche, and Saito hear the explosions and rush over in time to see the musketeers rushing into the building.

He notices the two downed musketeers just outside of the building.

"Damn it." Saito says to the others.

He quickly goes to their side to check their condition and notices they aren't doing too well.

"I have to get you two away from here. Agnes will have to wait." Saito says softly.

He picks up one of the musketeers and carries her over to where Tabitha and Kirche are. Tabitha uses a levitation spell to bring the other one over.

The one musketeer grimaces when Saito puts her down.

"I'm sorry. Just hold on a little longer."

Saito holds one of his hands slightly above the woman he put down and casts a healing spell on her.

She starts to open her eyes.

"Mr. Saito. The . . captain?" She starts to say.

"You stay still. You are still pretty hurt. I will go help her in a minute."

They hear footsteps.

Saito pulls his sword.

To their surprise, especially Saito's, Louise approaches.

Saito glares at her, but he doesn't say a word to her as he switches his attention back to the other musketeer.

'How the hell is she here. She should be locked up. Oh well. There are bigger things at hand to deal with.' Saito thinks.

He casts a healing spell on the other musketeer.

"Where have you been Louise?" Kirche crosses her arms and asks Louise.

Louise puts her hands on her hips and glares at Saito.

"I was detained elsewhere because of my sister and HIM." She says as she refers to Saito.

Tabitha sees this and readies her staff.

"I don't care if you are angry Louise. Right now we have bigger things to worry about. Everyone is inside of the dining hall with a bunch of men from Albion, and they mean business."

'I might be angry with her, but I just can't let someone throw their life away for the wrong reason.' He inwardly justifies his actions from earlier.

They hear more footsteps.

"Everyone else hide." Saito says softly to everyone else while he stands up and gets between the fallen musketeers and the footsteps.

'I have to keep everyone safe.' Saito vows inwardly.

This time, it is Colbert that approaches their location.

"Mr. Colbert?" Everyone says.

"Thank goodness. I am glad at least you are safe. Wait. Why are you here Louise?" Colbert says.

"You didn't honestly think I was going to stay there after you gave me my wand and I heard all of those screams?" Louise says to Colbert.

"I gave that to you just in case. You should have stayed there where it was safe. How did you get out anyways?"

She throws her hands up in the air.

"I blew it up." She states defiantly and sticks her nose in the air trying to hide her embarrassment for not being able to use a spell to unlock the cell.

Colbert and Saito put a hand to their face.

"Anyway. I sent for help. All of you need to get out of here." Colbert says to the group.

"You mean from the Palace? We don't have the time to wait for them to get here. You can be a coward and not do anything, but we are going to do something about this." Kirche snorts back to Colbert.

"These people are professionals. This is not a school yard brawl, and no ordinary parlor tricks are going to work on these men." Colbert tries to reason back with them.

They hear the fight going on inside of the Dining hall.

"I am sorry Mr. Colbert. I know you don't want us fighting, but our friends are in there. Your fellow faculty and staff are in there. Louise's sisters are in there. Agnes is in their fighting for everyone. She can't wait for help from the palace to arrive." Saito tells Colbert with a hint of regret because he knows Colbert's feelings on the subject.

"Okay. I see that I can't change your minds. Please put your trust in me, and let me handle this." Colbert says to the group.

Colbert's lighter demeanor changes completely to a seriously one.

"Follow me Saito. We have some work to do." Colbert orders Saito as he turns around to walk away.

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 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading yet another chapter of my story.

Hopefully the changes that I have made are still keeping the story interesting even though the past couple of chapters have been following along with the anime.

Good luck to everyone else taking finals.

V 1.1


	12. Chapter 12: Flames Of Resolution

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Curse finals for making me post this chapter late, but I assure you that the wait was well worth it.

This chapter corresponds with season 2 episodes 8 and 9

In the last chapter, Agnes ran into the dining hall through a hole that Menneville created. This chapter starts off right as she enters.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twelve

Flames of resolution

Agnes runs into the dining hall through the hole that Menneville made and the other musketeers enter through the main entrance of the dining hall.

"So you are the leader." Menneville says to Agnes.

Menneville points his mace towards one of the musketeers and fires off a fire spell that causes the rifle she was holding to melt.

He then points his mace towards Agnes' weapon to do the same thing. He fires off the spell, but Agnes dodges to the side as he fired off the spell. Her quick reaction was, in part, due to the training she was doing with Saito.

She takes quick aim with her hand held musket and fires. The shot grazes Menneville's shoulder. His eyes go wide with anger.

'How dare that petulant peasant hit me? I will take great pleasure in watching her burn from my flames.' Menneville thinks.

Agnes holsters her weapon and draws her sword. She charges and jumps at Menneville.

He dodges her attack.

"You might have gotten a lucky shot off at me, but do you honestly think that you can defeat me?"

"I refuse to lose to any wretch that takes hostages!" Agnes retorts back to Menneville.

She charges him again.

He dodges again, but this time his cape gets a cut through it.

'This bug is really starting to become annoying' Menneville thinks to himself.

"I personally hate taking hostages. I would rather burn them all just like I am going to do with you."

They clash and lock swords as she attacks him again.

He gives a smile as he remembers something.

"I once burned an entire village to the ground. I think it was about 20 years ago." Menneville states.

Agnes gets a shocked look on her face.

'The timing is too coincidental.' Agnes thinks to herself.

His smile gets greater.

"Seeing the flames engulf everything was beautiful and inspired me to want to do it more. That is what war is really about. Death and destruction." Menneville continued.

Agnes' face gets a little pale as she comes to the realization that he really was a part of what happened to her village.

"You. . ." She starts.

She starts envisioning what happened to her home.

"My home D'Angleterre. You're the one that burned it." She continues.

They break away from their lock.

"So you're a survivor of that?"

Agnes' anger flares up as she takes another charge at him.

"I cannot forgive you. DIE!"

Menneville jumps away, but not without getting another cut along his ribcage.

"You insolent woman! You have an upper hand on me in the way of sword fighting, but a peasant like you can't win against a mage. You will not strike me a third time.

She turns around to attack him again, but her sword melts from his spell. She throws it at him out of spite and starts to rush towards him to get into hand to hand combat with him. He easily swipes the melted sword away. He continues with his swipe and slams his mace into Agnes's side. She tried to brace for it, but his swing was too strong because of how muscular he was and the size difference between the two. She flies into the nearby table and chairs. She starts to bleed from a large gash where his mace hit her.

She staggers up to a knee and sees that he has his mace pointed at her.

'Damn it.' She thinks to herself.

"Were you the captain on that mission?" She asks him.

'I have to make sure he is the one.' Agnes thinks.

"Unfortunately, I was not." Menneville starts.

Agnes gets a shocked look on her face.

"I was a lieutenant back then. The flame serpent was my commanding officer." Menneville continues.

He gets another creepy smile on his face as he reflects.

"I couldn't even compare to him at the time. His flames consumed everything. I want to find him more than anyone else could ever want to. HE gave me all of these scars."

He holds out his arms as if to show her all of the scars on his arms and face.

"All I wish for in life now is to see him burn for what he has done to me." Menneville says as he starts to laugh maniacally.

When his laugh settles down, Menneville continues to humor Agnes before he kills her and tells his story.

The other Musketeers were subdued at this point, but not without Mennevilles men taking some wounds and casualties as well.

"It still makes me tremble when I think about it. It was amazing to see the Flame Serpent's power burn D'Angleterre. He hardly batted an eye when he did it."

He leans over and gives her a crazed look.

"My curiosity came over me you see. I had to test his power. Was he really that great? Was his power that real? I had to see it for myself" He tells her.

He points his mace to the wall.

"So, impulsively, I attacked him from behind when we were just standing around watching the village burn. I fired off a spell at him and he quickly turned around and fired back. His blue fire burned hotter than mine. His fire brushed me and my spell off like nothing."

"You're insane!" Agnes says to Menneville.

He smiles back to her.

"Perhaps."

She winces a little from the pain in her side.

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Back in Colbert's lab Saito and Colbert were making flattened spheres and putting a powdery substance in them.

"What are we making these for? How much longer is this going to take? I can't leave Agnes and the others in there for much longer." Saito says to Colbert impatiently.

"Just keep making them. We are almost done. I know you are worried about the people in there, but we need these for a distraction. It didn't look like they were going to kill anybody yet. They are using them for hostages." Colbert says as he tries to calm Saito down.

Saito huffs.

"All right."

"You said that anyone in your world can use technology?" Colbert asks Saito.

"Sure, as long as you learn how to use it properly." Saito says back to his friend.

"That is wonderful. I would love to go to your world some day and try some of it out. Please take me with you when you go back to your world."

Saito just stares in shock at Mr. Colbert.

After a couple more minutes, they were done. Colbert closes the box they were putting them in and they leave to meet up with the others who were getting impatient as they waited.

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"Enough reminiscing. Let's discuss negotiations." He says as he walks over to Osmond.

Osmond looks up at Menneville.

"Send a message to Henrietta. I want her sign an oath to withdraw and keep her troops out of Albion." He says to the principal.

"I can't do that." He retorts back to Menneville.

"Then I guess you don't care if I turn every student in here to ashes."

Osmond gets a scared look in his eyes.

"You are foolish." Julio says to Menneville.

"What did you say boy?" Menneville annoyingly says to Julio.

"You realize that the forces will send an all-out attack when they learn of this. This plan wasn't very well thought out and it leaves you stranded here in enemy territory."

"You really do want to die!"

Menneville points his mace at Julio and is about to fire.

White spheres start to float and flood into the dining hall from Kirche's magic.

Everyone in the hall looks up at the spheres.

"Now!" Colbert yells out.

Kirche makes the spheres blow up as she makes a swipe with her wand.

The spheres blow up and act like flash bombs as they blind all of the on-lookers.

"Remember to only save the hostages and get out. Do not take on the enemy." Colbert tells the group.

Saito's group rushes in.

Kirche and Tabitha make a combined fire attack to take down Menneville's men.

The two rush forward and start to make another combined attack.

"No, don't take them on!" Colbert yells out to them.

"Agnes!" Saito yells out.

Saito grabs a sword that he found on the ground and tosses it to her.

"Saito! It's good to see you." Agnes says back to him as she grabs her side.

Saito turns his head to see Menneville aiming his staff at Tabitha and Kirche.

He points Derflinger at them.

"Gust of wind." He calls out.

Wind blows out from Derflinger and manages to blow Tabitha out of the way, but Kirche still managed to get caught in Menneville's flames. She falls singed to the ground.

Menneville steps out from smoke and steps on Kirche's wand before she could reach it.

"You were so close." Menneville says to Kirche.

Kirche takes a good look into Menneville's eye.

"Don't tell me your eye?" She starts to say to him.

He smiles and reaches for his eye. He pulls the fake white eye out of its socket.

"I had lost of all of my normal vision ever since the day that he scorched me. But I have become sensitive to heat because of my affinity for fire." Menneville starts to say.

He walks over and pulls Kirche up by her hair, and gets right up into her face.

"I can tell people apart just by their body heat." He continues to say to her.

He starts to smile.

Tabitha walks over and points her staff at him.

"So you think that you can play too?" He says to Tabitha.

He throws Kirche to the side.

"Tabitha! No!" Saito yells out.

"I want to smell you as you burn." Menneville says to Tabitha.

"Step away from my student." Colbert says to Menneville.

Colbert walks towards them with an extremely commanding presence that no one has ever seen come from him before.

"Mr. Colbert .?!" Saito, Kirche, and Louise say.

Colbert points his staff at Menneville.

"You will not harm my students." Colbert says to him.

Menneville gives a hard stare at Colbert, and gets a huge grin on his face after a few moments.

"Ha ha ha haaaaaaa! It's you. You. You. You! I have longed to see your fire. You are the one I have been searching for. It has been so long my captain the Fire Serpent." Menneville says excitedly.

Agnes gets a shocked look on her face.

"Captain? No." She says aloud, but softly.

"Your vision?" Colbert says to the madman.

"All thanks to you captain. I can't believe that the Flame Serpent is a teacher. No wonder why I haven't seen you for so long my old comrade."

Everyone looks on in shock at the revelation that Colbert was the terrible captain that took out Agnes' village. The man that they knew was against violence was once known as the Flame Serpent.

One of Menneville's men tries to attack Colbert from the back and Colbert takes him with a blue flame.

"Just as skillful as ever Flame Serpent. I guess being a teacher hasn't dumbed down your skills that much. Good. This will make our fight that much more entertaining."

"Tabitha. Help Kirche. Saito. You and Louise help everyone else get out of here." Colbert says to the group.

Tabitha holds her ground for a moment, but then decides to follow Colbert's orders and helps Kirche.

Saito goes over to the fallen Musketeers. He casts healing spells on a couple of them. He gets a sad look on his face when he realizes one of them is dead. He cuts their ropes and tells them to get out.

Louise goes over to her sisters.

"Hurry up and get us out of here." Eleonore says impatiently.

Louise focuses really hard and actually manages to undo their ropes with a spell.

Eleonore gets a shocked look on her face.

"Huh!? She must have gotten lucky." Eleonore says aloud.

Louise growls and focuses again. This time everyone's ropes in the group around her become undone.

Cattleya stands up.

"Good job." Cattleya says to Louise with a soft smile.

Louise rushes over to the other group of students to do the same thing.

Saito runs over to the staff after helping the musketeers.

"I was so scared." Siesta says to Saito.

"It's ok now." He says back to her.

Saito uses the same trick Louise used to set the staff free.

Siesta gives Saito a quick hug before she takes off with the rest of the staff.

Agnes has been staring in shock this whole time. Not only has her past memories been flashing through her head, but she has also been in conflict because of her relationship with Mr. Colbert.

Colbert and Menneville each fire off spells at each other.

Agnes shakily raises her sword. She is filled with anger and she is now also quite stained with her own blood.

She looks over to Colbert with her sword ready to attack.

'You burned my mother, and my father to death.' She thinks as she looks at Colbert.

She turns toward Menneville.

'You watched in enjoyment, and you attacked this academy.'

She turned back towards Colbert.

'You saved me back at the archive.' She continues to think.

"I cannot forgive this." She lightly says aloud.

Menneville finally gets annoyed with her presence.

"Stay out of our battle peasant!" Meneville says to her as he fires off a spell at her.

Colbert sees him doing this shoves Agnes out of the way just to be hit by the spell and get burned.

Menneville starts to laugh.

"I can't believe how soft you have become. How does it feel to get burned?" Menneville says crazily to his former captain.

Agnes sees the burn scar on Colbert's back as he struggles to get back to his feet. She remembers the burn scar on the man who helped carry her out of the fire 20 years ago and realizes that Colbert was the same man.

"I have waited so long for the moment that I get to burn you to death." Menneville says aloud.

"Cen jera. . ." Colbert starts to whisper.

"I have to thank you. My revenge for you is the reason why I have become so strong." Menneville says.

"tyre gyfu." Colbert finishes his spell.

A blue fire engulfs Menneville.

Menneville yells out it pain, but he still stands after the fire fades away.

Colbert lets out another flame, but Menneville shakes it off again.

"I am not the same as I was 20 years ago. My flames have surpassed even yours" He says to Colbert.

"Your arrogance still hasn't changed since then." Colbert says to Menneville as he gets to his feet.

Colbert sends off another blue fire spell at Menneville.

Menneville gets engulfed by Colbert's flames and falls to one knee.

"Damn you!" He yells back at Colbert.

Menneville gets to his feet and raises his mace strait up in the air.

Fire starts to collect around the tip of his mace.

"Waz hagalaz haegl is winde. . " Menneville chants a spell.

Colbert was about to fight back but collapses to the ground.

Agnes rushes up to Menneville and impales him with her sword.

"This is for my village." She says to him.

He gets a shocked look on his face as his spell fizzles.

"And by the way. Strike three."

He slumps over and falls to the ground as Agnes pulls the sword out of him.

She walks over towards Colbert shakily. She is breathing heavily and is slightly paler than what she was a little bit ago.

"Why did you save me when you burned D'Angleterre down?" She asks Colbert in a serious tone.

"I realized my mistake."

Agnes flips her sword upside down as if ready to do a coup de grace.

Saito runs between Agnes and Colbert while the others run to his side.

"Agnes! What are you doing?" Saito says to her.

"I have agonized over this for 20 years."

"Move out of the way Saito. I realized my mistake when one of my men came up to me and said that there was no sign of an epidemic. I rushed in there to find any sign of life. I found you and I carried you out. I killed many people though just because I blindly followed orders. I deserve this, but let me be the last person you kill." Colbert says.

Kirche's eyes starts to tear up.

Saito holds his sword towards Agnes.

"I am not just going to move out of the way. Don't make me do this Agnes. He was ordered to burn your village. Then he saved you when he realized that the order was a mistake. He also saved you when you got hurt at the archive. Do you really want to do this? Is revenge really so important to you that you are willing to kill someone that saved you? Don't throw your life away like this. You are hurt. Let's get you some help." Saito tries to reason with Agnes.

Agnes stands there for a moment as she struggles for a moment while conflicting thoughts run through her head. She thinks about everything that has happened. She thinks about everything that she has found out, and all of the lies that occurred that led to her village being burned. She thought about everything that Colbert and Saito had said to her.

'Is revenge really worth it? Does Colbert deserve that? What would that make me if I killed him? Damn it!' She thinks to herself.

She hurls her sword to the side.

She shakes and waves her hands up and down in aggravation.

"Why? Why did it have to be you? This would have been easy if it wasn't you. I have struggled with this for 20 years. My whole city. All over a lie. The one who destroyed my village also became my savior. This . . . is . . . just. . . . too. . . . . . much." Agnes tries to say, but collapses into Saito's arms as he drops Derf to catch her.

A tear drops from Kirche's eyes onto Colbert's hand.

Agnes's wounds and loss of adrenaline catch up to her. She looks as pale as a ghost.

Saito sits down with Agnes in his arms. He instantly gets covered in her blood.

Saito tries to use the same healing spell on her that he used on the musketeers, but it doesn't seem to have an effect.

"Why isn't it helping like it did with the others?" Saito says aloud.

Tabitha shakes her head back and forth.

Agnes coughs up some blood.

"I think my wounds are too deep for that to be helpful." Agnes says to him.

She puts a hand on his cheek as his eyes start to tear up.

"I am sorry." She says to him with multiple meanings behind her words.

Her eyes start to close and her hand drops from his cheek.

He gets a panicked look on his face.

'No! No! No! No! No! This can't be happening. There has to be something I can do. What was that spell that Eleonore mentioned to me? That high level healing spell. I never saw anyone do it but I have to try.' Saito desperately thinks to himself.

"You aren't allowed to die on me Agnes. You're too important." He says to Agnes.

He puts a hand on her cheek and then over her wound.

"Weise . . ." Saito starts to chant the spell.

The runes on Saito's back glow and lines spread out exponentially from the point where they were already at.

"Heill!" Saito finishes chanting the spell.

A blue fog projects from Saito's hand and flows into Agnes' wound. The lines that streamed from his runes nearly go all the way up his neck as Saito focuses intently on her wound.

"Work!" Saito yells out.

Saito's vision starts to fade as he loses consciousness.

"Saito!" Everyone yells out.

Saito falls back with Agnes lying on top of him.

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 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading yet another chapter of my story.

What a cliffhanger!

Kudos to anyone that knows where I got that healing spell from.

V 1.1


	13. Chapter 13: Fallout From The Ashes

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

This chapter is a little longer than some of the previous ones.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirteen

Fallout from the ashes

One of Agnes' musketeers rides like the wind to get news to the Queen about what happened at the academy.

'I hope Agnes and Saito will be alright. I left in such a rush that I left those two in the care of everyone else.' The tired musketeer thought to herself.

Just as she gets inside of the gates, she runs into the Queen and a squad of knights. The queen is wearing her battle armor and has a sword strapped to her side.

"My Queen." The musketeer says to Henrietta as she bows her head.

"Julia? Where is Agnes? What's going on at the academy? Report." Henrietta asks in succession.

Julia dismounts, and Henrietta notices a blood stain and slash marks on her clothes.

"Are you wounded? Do you need medical attention?" Henrietta asks the musketeer.

Henrietta dismounts and rushes over to the musketeer.

"I am doing okay your majesty. Saito healed me enough to get by."

"Saito?" Henrietta says in wonder of what in the world happened.

'I hope he is okay.' Henrietta thinks to herself.

"Yes. Through combined efforts, the threat has been eliminated and the academy is safe."

Henrietta motions for one of her assistants.

"Change of plans. We are still going to the academy, but get my carriage ready."

The assistant nods and rushes off.

"You will wide with me." Henrietta tells the musketeer.

"But your majesty, I couldn't." Julia says as she bows her head in respect to the queen.

"You will. You look tired and you need to explain to me what happened."

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Along the ride to the academy, Henrietta listens intently to the musketeer.

"A man named Menneville and a group of men with him surprise attacked us. He was a mercenary hired to take over the school and take the students for hostage. They were going to use them to force you to retreat your forces and keep them out of Albion."

'I was warned that this was a possibility. I was hoping that Albion would not have resorted to such poor tactics. Did they really think that they were going to get away with that though? In the middle of our own territory.' Henrietta thinks to herself.

"I wonder why they only sent a mercenary and not an elite task force to handle this kind of operation." Henrietta thinks aloud.

"I can tell you that this was not a mere mercenary my Queen." Julia says respectively.

"What do you mean?"

"He was an extremely powerful fire mage, but that's not all. He was also part of the group that burned Agnes' village down years ago."

Henrietta gets a surprised and worried look on her face. She knows how obsessed Agnes had gotten over what happened to her village.

"We had regrouped after their initial attacks and after his group had rounded up all of the students, faculty, and staff in the dining hall. We were going to surprise him by setting up explosives as a distraction, but he took us out in the process. He used some kind of heat sense to see us. So he was able to see us through the walls even though he was blind."

"Wait. Heat sense?"

Julia nods.

"It's the only way I can describe it. He was blind because his commanding officer at the time burned him when Menneville attacked him from behind."

'That's crazy! Who attacks their commanding officer like that? I guess he really isn't a normal mercenary.' Henrietta thinks to herself.

"We found this out when Agnes and Menneville were locked in one on one combat. Here lies another problem though. His commanding officer at the time was the flame serpent. And, coincidentally, the flame serpent just so happens to be a teacher at the academy."

"Oh my god! Who?"

"Mr. Colbert."

"You have to be joking." Henrietta says this to Julia even though she knows Julia has no reason to lie to her.

Julia shakes her head.

"I wish I was. He must have changed sometime after the incident. Apparently, Colbert found out that there wasn't an epidemic happening there after he had nearly burned the village completely down. He searched for survivors and found Agnes." Julia tells Henrietta.

Henrietta holds a hand in front of her mouth in shock.

'So, two people that were involved with her village's incident were both there at the school. She must have gone into a fit of rage. I was worried about what she was going to do when she found out. She was so obsessed that there was no stopping her from her quest. She even forced her way into the archive when Principal Osmond told her no.'

"How do you know it was Mr. Colbert?" Henrietta asks Julia to make sure.

"Saito's group, including Mr. Colbert and some of the other students, came in to help after we were all subdued by Menneville's group. Colbert stepped in to make sure that none of the students fought Menneville themselves and Menneville instantly recognized him." Julia says with a hint of regret because they needed help

'Saito.'

"I hate to admit it, but I was so happy to see Saito come to help. We, the musketeers, have developed quite the comradery with him over the past week through our training. He also helped heal many of us from the battle."

'Saito never ceases to amaze me. Agnes has always talked highly to me about everything that has been going on with him, but to hear it from another point of view really shows his influence. I knew I chose the right person to fall in love with. I hope he is okay though.' Henrietta thinks.

"Please go on."

"He helped us while Louise helped her sisters and the other students."

"Louise was working together with Saito?"

Julia nods.

'Did they talk to each other or were they just working together because of the situation?'

"I am glad she was there to help them out." Henrietta says.

"A heated battle ensued between Colbert and Menneville after the hostages escaped."

"What was Agnes doing at this point?" The Queen enquires.

"Unfortunately, I think that the emotional stress of the situation had taken a great toll on our captain."

'Oh no! That can't be good. She is always very stoic, but this battle became personal.'

"What happened?" Henrietta says calmly.

Julia looks away and to the floor.

"I do not wish to speak poorly of my captain."

"I appreciate your loyalty to your captain, but I am the Queen and I must know. Now what happened?"

"Forgive me your highness. Agnes stood there, torn and wounded. I saw her struggle between holding her sword toward Menneville and Colbert." Julia states.

Henrietta crossed her arms and tried to keep an emotionless face. Inside she had a huge struggle over Agnes' action.

'She should have kept her focus on Menneville. Colbert should have been an afterthought. Menneville attacked the school and took hostages. Menneville assaulted her group. She was there to protect the school. She let her emotions cloud her judgement. She is a close friend to me. She is actually kind of motherly towards me. I am very angry at her over this. She put the whole situation at risk. This wasn't just about her. It wasn't even just about the school. This also involved the country. I can understand why she became so emotional though.'

She takes a deep breath.

"Go on." She tells Julia.

"Agnes killed him when it seemed like he was about to completely have the upper hand. After that, she turned her sword toward Colbert."

Henrietta becomes still starts to close her eyes in anticipation of what Julia was about to say.

"Saito jumped between her and Colbert." Julia states.

"What!" Henrietta blares out as her eyes jolt wide open in shock.

The musketeer gulps as she gets a horrifying vision of what a battle between those two might be like.

"The two argued and she threw her sword to the side, but her wounds finally caught up to her."

Henrietta gets a worried look on her face.

'Please don't say that she died. She might have made some mistakes in this battle, but I can't afford to lose her.'

"She collapsed into Saito's arms. He tried to heal her like he did the rest of us, but it wasn't working. She had lost a lot of blood and her wound seemed pretty deep."

Henrietta's eyes start to tear up.

"She told Saito sorry for some reason and started to pass out."

A tear starts to stream down Henrietta's face.

Julia looks up to Henrietta in amazement though.

"Then Saito did something amazing though. After saying something about how important to him she was, he cast a healing spell on her that completely healed her."

Henrietta's face lit up when Julia said that. Not only was Agnes saved, but she was saved by Saito. Henrietta also wasn't unaware of the words that were shared between the two even if the musketeer didn't understand.

"He passed out in the process of that too though. I left shortly after that. Saito and Agnes were being taken to rooms to recover and Colbert had passed away from the injuries he gotten from his battle with Menneville." Julia finishes her report.

Henrietta had mixed feelings about everything that happened. She had determined one thing for sure though.

'I need to have a talk with Agnes when she awakes.' Henrietta thinks to herself.

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Early morning of the following day, Saito finally starts to wake up.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh." Saito groans out.

Saito realizes that there is extra weight near the foot of the bed, so he tries to sit up.

He sits up and sees Agnes leaned over his bed and asleep. A shocked, but happy, look gets on his face.

'She's alive.' He thinks.

"She stayed awake as long as she could after she woke up and found out that you saved her with your spell." Henrietta says from Tabitha's table.

Tabitha was sitting across the table from Henrietta. She has a soft smile on her face.

"Glad you're awake." Tabitha Says to him.

"I had to come here when I found out that there was an attack on the academy. I had the musketeers stationed here because there was worry that something like this was going to happen. She refused to leave and tried to stay awake until you woke up. I decided to also stick around until later today." Henrietta says to Saito.

Without even thinking, Saito strokes Agnes's hair a couple times.

This did not go unnoticed by the other two women in the room.

"She fought hard. You should've seen her." Saito says to Henrietta.

He looks over to the queen.

"Thank you for staying here. I know that you have more important things you are dealing with right now. Compared to everything that you have going on, I am not that important."

Henrietta shakes her head.

"Right now, Saito, you are important." Henrietta says to him with a slight blush and a smile on her face.

Saito also gets a blush on his face.

{No one else is as important as Tabitha.}

Saito puts a hand on his face in annoyance from the voice.

Henrietta looks over to Tabitha with slight concern on her face.

'Saito hasn't asked about Colbert yet. I should let Agnes explain it to him. I think they will have a lot to talk about. The outcome of that will be very important.' Henrietta thinks.

"I will be back to check on you in a little bit. I also have something else I want to discuss with you." The queen says to Saito.

She then looks over to Tabitha.

They had discussed earlier that Agnes should be the one to talk with him about Colbert.

"In a moment." Tabitha says to the queen.

Henrietta gives a nod in response and walks out the door.

Tabitha walks over to the bed and gives Saito a kiss. They mutually put effort into their kiss. Tabitha puts a hand on his face when they unlock.

"I will be back in a little bit. Thank you for getting me out of the way of that blast." She says softly to him.

He smiles at her.

She walks out the door and closes it behind her.

Agnes starts to stir at the sound of the door shutting. She groggily turns her head from the position she was in to see that Saito was sitting up and staring at her.

Saito could tell that she must have been up a long time because her eyes were heavy with dark circles under them.

She jolts up with a blush on her face and looks away in embarrassment.

'Shit. I can't believe he saw me like that.' She thinks

"Good morning Saito." She says.

He smiles, grabs her, and pulls her in for a hug.

She gets a shocked look on her face. She wasn't expecting him to do that.

"I am glad that you are alive. I didn't think that I was going to be able to do that."

She hugs him back.

"I wasn't expecting it either. I am alive because of you. Thank you."

He grips a little tighter.

"You passed out for a day from that stunt though."

A slight shock comes over him from hearing that.

"I didn't want you to die. So I was willing to try anything, even if it was beyond my reach."

His eyes water a little bit.

'I know what you said to me.' She remembers what Henrietta told her that he said.

They eventually pull away from their embrace.

Now that he is a little more awake, the memories start to flood back to him.

He gets a worried look on his face.

"Is Mr. Colbert okay?"

She looks away.

'Why do I have to be the one to tell him?'

"What happened to him Agnes?"

"I'm sorry Saito. He passed away shortly after we were both passed out."

Saito gets an upset look on his face. It's a mixture of hurt and anger.

"Why? Damn it! Why?" He says as his voice gets elevated.

He starts to pound the bed, run his hands through his hair, his eyes tear up, and his breathing becomes exasperated.

He jumps out of bed and starts to erratically walk back and forth.

Agnes just watches him do this.

'I have no right to stop him considering how angry I was with Mr. Colbert.'

"Damn it!" He yells out.

He slams the bottom of his fist against a wall.

"If only I was stronger. I could have tried to save both of you."

"I honestly didn't think that he was that hurt. He had some burn marks and he seemed drained, but it looked like he was going to survive." Agnes says to a very frustrated Saito.

Saito swiftly turns his head toward Agnes and and glares at her.

"Are you happy now?" He says in a very angry tone.

Agnes gets a surprised look on her face.

"Huh?"

"Are you happy that the man that you wanted revenge on is dead? That IS all you wanted?"

"Please. . . wait. . . Saito." She tries to stop him so that he could hear what she had to say.

"You wanted him dead. You were going to ram your sword through him. Never mind the fact that he pulled you out from the fire when he realized that what he was doing was a mistake! Never mind the fact that he also saved you at the archive when you got hurt refusing to leave because of this obsession of yours."

He marches towards her.

"Is this really how you're going to waste the life that he helped to save?"

It really hurt her to hear him yell at her like that, even if what he was saying was true.

"You nearly died back there Agnes!" He continues.

"Saito." Agnes interrupts.

"What? What do you possibly have to say?"

"Saito! Would you shut up and listen to me! I have a lot to say to you if you would just listen." Agnes yells out almost as frustratedly as Saito.

Saito stops.

"Please. Just listen to me. I have had a day to think over everything while you were out." She says in a lighter tone.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out.

They both sit down at the table.

"I did a lot of thinking over the past day. I've thought about you, Mr. Colbert., my quest for revenge, and things that you, Colbert and Henrietta said to me. It was a lot to think over. Everything was almost a blur from the other day. It all happened so fast. I found out so much in a very little amount of time. I didn't have time to process it. I was on a hunt for revenge. I agonized over what happened in my home village for 20 years. That is a long time to build up anger and hate. I found out that the captain of that attack and his lieutenant were both here. I saw red."

Saito sits there staring at the floor while he listens to her story.

"I wanted them dead. They were the reason why I lost all of my family and friends. I did struggle when it came to Mr. Colbert. He was the captain. He burned my village and my family. But he did, as you reminded me, pull me out of the fire. He followed orders to destroy the village because of an epidemic. He helped me at the archive, and he also reminded me of something that I was losing. I cast my sword to the side during my struggles. I am sorry he died Saito. Maybe if I wouldn't have been so blinded in my rage he would have survived. It's my fault and I can't bring him back."

She looks over at Saito. He is still looking at the floor, motionless.

She continues on.

"My village is still going to be a sore spot with me. I am still going to serve the queen as long as I can. Nothing can change those two things, but I am going to listen to what the two of you said to me. I am going to try to also live. There is still something that I know that I can't have, but I am going to try and live a little more anyways. I won't let his words to me fall on deaf ears. I hope you can forgive me Saito."

She looks to him again for a reaction.

He just sits there void of life.

She stands up as if she was going to walk away, but she stands there staring at him, waiting for some kind of response.

An eternity passed within what might have even been a minute.

She turns to walk away but gets stopped by Saito grabbing her hand.

She looks back to him and sees tears streaming down his face.

"Wait." He says to her.

She steps back to him.

"I. . . . am sorry too." He says to her.

She gets a puzzled look on her face.

"Why are you saying sorry?"

"I snapped at you. I can't completely understand your feelings, but I can understand a little. I was angry over Colbert's death, and you were angry over all of the deaths in your village. I . . . . don't blame you for his death. You were not the one who killed him. I am glad that you have decided that you are going to live a little." He says as he tries to understand her actions.

"I am glad that you aren't holding his death over me."

"It would not have happened if it wasn't for Menneville." Saito says back to her.

"Still, I know that he was your friend and I didn't do much of anything to help him. I should have just focused on Menneville. I let my personal vendetta override my duty, and then you even stepped between me and him."

"I did it for not only him, but also you."

"I don't understand." She says to him.

"I was worried about you Agnes."

"You were worried?"

"Yes. I was. I had to stop you. I saw where your revenge was taking you. It was leading you down a path of destruction. If you would have killed him, then I felt that you would have sent down a path of no return. I didn't want to see that happen to you, and he didn't want that happening to you either. You mean too much to me to watch you do that to yourself."

She turns her head and blushes a little.

'God do I love that man. He even saved my life.' She thinks.

"I am glad you stopped me. You're right. I don't know what the consequences would have been if I would have actually done that. Menneville and Richemont both tried to kill me, but Colbert did nothing of the sort. It would have just been cold blooded murder."

"Just don't make me do that again. I don't want to get into a serious fight against you."

She gives him a smile.

'He is making this harder and harder on me to be around him without showing him my true feelings.

"I must be going for now. I will see you later Saito."

He nods.

"I am glad you're alive Agnes. Keep it that way." He says to her.

"You too Saito."

She walks out of the room.

There is a knock on the door a few moments later.

"Who could that be?" He says aloud.

He opens the door.

"Hello Saito." Siesta says to him with a huge smile on her face.

She is holding a tray of food.

The aroma hits his senses like a tidal wave and instantly makes his stomach growl.

She giggles.

"I guess I came at a good time." She says to him.

"I guess being out for a day will do that to a person."

They sit down at the table so he can eat.

She watches him eat all of his food up.

"I can't tell you how happy I was to see you back in the dining hall. Everything just seems better whenever I am around you." She admits to him.

He smiles and scratches the back of his head.

"I am not sure how to respond to that."

"As modest as ever Saito. I know how you should respond." She says with a sly look on her face.

"And how is that?"

She walks around the table, sits on his lap, and gently puts her arms around his neck.

"You should let me kiss my hero."

"And who is that?"

"You of course." She says as if there was no other choice

She closes in and gives him a tender kiss.

She embraces him for a moment before they break apart.

{You should only let your master kiss you.}

They look each other in the eyes.

"Thank you Saito. I am glad that you came to help. "

She gathers up the tray.

"I will talk to you later Saito."

She smiles and walks out of the room.

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 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading yet another chapter of my story.

This chapter and the next chapter give Henrietta a little more air time.

V 1.1


	14. Chapter 14: 4 Out Of 5 Ain't Bad

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Sorry for the delay, but here we go with a long awaited for chapter.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fourteen

Four Out Of Five Ain't Bad

After she left Saito, Agnes decides to personally check on each of the musketeers.

While she travels the various halls of the academy, she takes the time to reflect on her conversation with Henrietta from the previous day.

********** Flashback **********

Agnes slowly opens her eyes to see the ceiling of her room.

Her memories flood back to her after a moment.

'My wound?'

She quickly sits up to check on her wound. She finds that she is wearing her loose fitting t-shirt that she wears to bed.

'What the hell?'

She ignores it and lifts up her shirt to find that her wound is completely gone. It's as if she never got the wound.

"What happened? I should be dead. Last thing I remember was being in Saito's arms."

"Saito." Henrietta states.

Agnes jolts her head in Henrietta's direction. Henrietta was sitting in a chair near the bed. She had changed back into her usual attire shortly after arriving at the academy.

"My queen! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the castle?" Agnes says to Henrietta.

"I came here after I got word of the attack. Julia rushed to the palace after the incident was over."

"Oh. I am sorry that you had to come all the way here."

"Well, we are going to discuss that, but I first want to answer your question. You are alive because Saito saved you. He used a very powerful spell on you so that you wouldn't die. You would have died if it wasn't for him. You owe him your life."

Agnes gets a shocked look on her face.

"He did that for me?"

"Yes he did. You are very fortunate. It must have taken nearly everything he had to save you because he passed out right at the end of the spell."

"Is he okay?" Agnes says frantically.

"Yes he is. He is asleep in Tabitha's room. We can go check on him when our conversation is done if that is what you would like."

Agnes gives a quick nod.

"Yes I would."

"Now. I had Julia give me a full report about what happened here." Henrietta says to Agnes with her arms crossed.

The tone in Henrietta's voice sends a shiver down Agnes' spine.

'I've got the feeling that this isn't going to go well.'

"I am very displeased with what I heard. I want you to explain yourself, and you know what I mean. I want to hear about what occurred in the dining hall." Henrietta says sternly.

"Yes your highness." Agnes says as she shifts into a sitting position on the side of the bed.

Agnes reflects on the battle for a moment.

"I learned that Menneville was one of the people responsible for what happened to my village." Agnes starts to say.

"And Mr. Colbert." Henrietta adds.

Agnes nods reluctantly.

"And Mr. Colbert." Agnes repeats what Henrietta said.

Henrietta crosses one leg over another and tries to keep a neutral face while she listens to Agnes.

"I . . . . . became infuriated. Mr. Colbert was the captain of the group that burned down my village. The anger that I had built up for 20 years was released. I had wanted them dead."

"So Mr. Colbert, the Flame Serpent, was the one you were searching for when you wanted to go to the archive. The archive that you decided to go into despite Osmond's ruling against going in." Henrietta says as she stands up with her arms crossed.

"Yes." Agnes simply responds.

"Continue."

"My focus was shifting back and forth between wanting to attack Colbert and Menneville."

"So you took your full attention off of the enemy that attacked and infiltrated the academy because of a personal vendetta?"

Agnes nods.

"I had let my emotions get the best of me."

"You put the country at risk Agnes." Henrietta starts to raise her voice.

Agnes hangs her head in shame. She knows that Henrietta is right.

"Colbert was there to help and you were trying to bite the hand that was feeding you. Menneville was the threat. He was the one that you should have been worrying about. Your issue with Colbert could have been dealt with later."

Henrietta walks over to the windows and looks out, surveying the school.

Agnes grits her teeth.

"Twenty years." Agnes starts to say.

Henrietta looks back to Agnes.

"That incident has been on my mind for 20 years. All of the deaths. The village burned to the ground. You have no idea how much I have gone through over this, and then the incident with Richemont revived the whole ordeal. I wanted nothing more than to take the revenge that I had longed for."

"But you were entrusted with the safety of the academy." Henrietta snaps back.

Agnes clamps her mouth shut. She is angry, but she knows Henrietta is right.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" Henrietta asks Agnes.

she walks over to Agnes.

"How am I supposed to trust my life with someone that can fly off the handle?"

"But your majesty. I would never . . "

"Quiet!" Henrietta interrupts Agnes.

A moment of silence passes between the two.

Henrietta pulls a chair and sets it across from Agnes. Then she sits down in it, takes in a deep breath, and exhales it out.

"Agnes. We have been around each other a lot. We have become quite close and I know a lot about you, just as you know a lot about me. I also worry about you, just like you do for me. Your actions recently have been very alarming. You have no idea how many ways Saito saved you." Henrietta says calmly.

Agnes gets a little bit of a surprised look on her face.

"He didn't just save you from dying from your wound. He saved you from you. So many things could have happened to you if you would have run your sword through Colbert." Henrietta continues on.

Agnes sits there, taking in what Henrietta has been saying to her.

"I can't begin to imagine what you have gone through over the past 20 years, but you let it take you over. It halted your life. I need to know that we can move on from this. I need to know you can move on. Last night cannot happen again." Henrietta adds.

Henrietta walks back over to the window and looks out.

Agnes gets off of the bed and approaches Henrietta.

Henrietta turns towards Agnes and stands there calmly with her hands clasped in front of her.

"I give you my word that last night's actions will not happen again. I acted recklessly, and I can't afford to have that happen again. Especially since we will be heading to the front lines." Agnes says.

"Are you going to move on with your life?"

"I . . . .am going to try. That is something I will have to get used to. Saito stuck his neck out to help me. I can't just ignore that. I value him as much as I do you."

Henrietta gets a soft smile on her face.

'I think that my suspicions have been right.'

"You and Saito have become quite close. You always talk about him so highly when have given me your updates about him." Henrietta says to Agnes pryingly.

Agnes blushes. She has talked overly well of Saito in her conversations with the queen.

'Oh crap! I hope she doesn't think that I am stepping on her toes.' Agnes worries.

"Forgive me your highness. Please do not worry. Saito and I have merely developed a good rapport with each other through our training. The other musketeers have also developed a rapport with him as well. I am not trying to get between your relationship with him." Agnes says worryingly.

Henrietta waves her hand dismissingly.

"Relax. I wasn't thinking that at all." Henrietta says.

'I was going to try and tease her a little, but I don't think she is going to let me.' Henrietta thinks.

"I was just trying to say that it seems like he has made a good impression on you."

Agnes blushes a little again.

'Maybe I still can.'

"Speaking of Saito, can we go check on him? He went out of his way to save my life. I feel like I should stay with him to make sure he is ok. If that is ok with you my Queen."

Henrietta smiles.

"I think we should. I haven't really had a good opportunity yet either. I shall wait for you to get dressed." Henrietta says as she sits down in the chair.

"I couldn't. Not in front of you."

'Well, I guess the rumors that I heard her being a lesbian weren't true. Of course, I already knew that.' Henrietta thinks to herself.

"We are both women and I don't feel like standing in the hallway. Besides, I would prefer to walk with you."

Agnes quickly changes behind a closet door.

When she finished getting dressed, she swiftly heads for the door and opens it for the Queen. There is a new vigor about her since their conversation.

"It's good to have you back Agnes."

"Thank you."

********** End Flashback **********

'Oh Saito. You have to stop doing things to make me love you. I hope the Queen doesn't catch on to my feelings for him.' Agnes thinks to herself as she walks down the hall to the next musketeer's room.

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Saito walks into the hallway after spending a little bit of time with Tabitha. After she had come back to the room they sat in bed together and talked. They talked about everything that happened. He told her about his conversation with Agnes. She could tell how much he cared about her, Siesta, and Agnes.

He decided that he was going to go for a jog to get out for a bit and also shake off some steam.

Upon entering the hallway he runs into Eleonore. She was actually approaching his door.

"Oh. Hello Eleonore."

Eleonore nods.

"Hello Saito. It is good to see you. Are you leaving?" She asks him.

"I was just about to go for a little jog."

"If you don't mind going for a walk instead, then I would like to join you. I was hoping to talk with you."

"I think I could rearrange my plans for a friend." Saito says to her.

She blushes a little at the fact that she was called a friend.

'That is not something I hear very often, and most of the time it is because the person saying it wants something.' She thinks.

"Are you sure that you wish to say something like that about me?"

He smiles and nods.

"I think that I can handle that as long as if you are okay with it."

'It's odd to find someone like him.'

She turns to start walking down the hall, and then gives him a sideways glance.

'Perhaps it wouldn't be that bad. He has grown on me.' She admits to herself.

"I guess I can agree to that." She says in response.

They start walking.

"I wanted to thank you for the other night." She starts to say.

"You don't really need to thank me Eleonore. Besides, it was your sister that freed you."

"Your group helped everyone escape even though you should have stayed out of it. Your group really pulled through and I am really grateful."

"We didn't feel that waiting for reinforcements from the palace was a very good idea."

"I can also say that I wasn't displeased to see you either."

"Ummmmmm. Thank you."

"But."

"But?" He repeats as he tries to figure out what the but was for.

She stops walking and turns to him and waves her finger in a scolding manner.

"That stunt you pulled was very dangerous. You over exerted yourself terribly far. You pushed yourself beyond normal limits, and we still don't know what happens when the lines from your runes spread all the way out."

He holds his hands out in defense.

"But."

"Again with the but." He says aloud.

She crosses her arms.

"Be quiet. I am trying to compliment you, and I don't give that out very often."

"Okay. Okay." He says in defense.

"Hmmph."

She turns to start walking again.

"That was very admirable of you to go to such lengths to save an ally."

"Even if I didn't know her, it's the right thing to do." He simply says to her

"I like that about you Saito. Anyways, thank you. I must be on my way."

"You're welcome Eleonore."

"Oh, by the way, you still need to talk to my sister." She reminds him.

"I know. It just hasn't been the right time yet."

"Please do not take much longer." She says to him nicely as she walks away.

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Tabitha opens the door to find Henrietta standing there.

Tabitha bows her head with respect for Henrietta.

Henrietta enters Tabitha's room and Tabitha shuts the door.

"How can I help you your highness?" Tabitha asks.

Henrietta pulls a chair out for Tabitha.

"Please sit down." Henrietta asks Tabitha.

Tabitha sits down as confusion strikes her facial features.

'What is she up to?' Tabitha thinks.

Henrietta slides over another chair right across from Tabitha and sits down in it. This puts Tabitha and Henrietta at the same level as one another.

Henrietta gives a smile over to Tabitha.

"How are you doing Princess Charlotte De Orleans?" Henrietta asks.

Tabitha raises an eyebrow. Her demeanor changes to a more regal posture.

"I am doing well your highness. What do I owe this occasion?"

"I wish to speak with you on a personal matter, but I wanted to address you as your real name. I will only do that as you see fit after this though."

Charlotte nods.

"I don't want to hold it back any longer. Ever since Prince Wales passed I don't want to miss opportunities. He told me to move on when he passed away. I know that you love Saito, but I have also developed feelings for him. I have become more and more aware of my feelings for him ever since I spent that time alone with him. I want to be with him, but I also don't want us to become enemies" Henrietta says to Charlotte.

"Share?" She says to Henrietta.

"Are you sure?" Henrietta asks.

"I can't deny the fact that I would like him all to myself, but I do not wish to become enemies either. And I already knew that Saito has feelings for others. I don't think anybody would truly win if we fought over Saito." Charlotte says to Henrietta.

"I also had the same thoughts, but how would this work out though? You will eventually become a queen and I am a queen. Being a mistress wouldn't work out well for either of us politically." Henrietta adds.

Charlotte just shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head.

"Don't know."

"But you are okay with this?" Henrietta asks again to make sure.

She nods.

"I am sure there has to be a way to make this work."

"I am relieved to hear you say that, and thank you."

Charlotte nods.

"If that is settled, then there are two others that need to be discussed." Henrietta says.

"Siesta." Charlotte states plainly.

"And Agnes." Henrietta adds.

Charlotte's eyes narrow a little at the mention on Agnes' name.

"Many nobles have mistresses. I don't mind if Saito has a couple as long as if I know about them." Henrietta says to Charlotte.

"I would be fine with that too. That would work out well for those two to also be with Saito, but are you sure about Agnes? Saito and I did talk about her, but what do you think?" Charlotte asks.

"I had a feeling you were going to ask about her. I had a long talk with her, and I am satisfied with what I heard. She made some mistakes, and I don't think that they will happen again." Henrietta says to Charlotte.

"Then I am fine with the both of them. I will let you deal with Agnes if she becomes an issue."

Henrietta smiles.

"I will if something occurs. I think that Siesta will be very happy. She loves him dearly. I am glad that we were able to work this out. And please refer to me as just Henrietta when it is just us." Henrietta says.

"Tabitha." Tabitha adds.

Henrietta gets up and gives Tabitha a hug.

The door to the room opens.

"Ummmmm. Did I interrupt something?" Saito asks awkwardly.

"Come in." Tabitha says to him.

"This actually involves you Saito." Henrietta says to Saito.

'What in the world is going on here?' He thinks.

"Okay. So what is going on?" He asks.

Henrietta and Tabitha both look at each other, and then at Saito and smile.

"You should sit." Tabitha says to him.

Tabitha then sits him down on the bed and also sits next to him. She grabs his hand and intertwines her fingers with his.

"How do you feel about Henrietta?" Tabitha asks Saito.

Henrietta stands in front of them with her hands in front.

"Is this a trick question?" He asks the two of them.

"No. It is not a trick question Saito. We want to know how you feel about her. Do you have feelings for her?" Tabitha asks.

"I know that you said that you understand that I have feelings for others, but won't you get mad if I actually admit who?"

Tabitha shakes her head.

"I knew that you had feelings for others and I will still respect that." She tells him.

"Well . . . . . . I do have feelings for her, and I did promise her a date." He says to them.

{Tabitha should be the only one that you have feelings for.}

'Go away.'

"I feel happy when she is around. I feel something between me and her just like I do me and you. I feel slighted with how far between our visits are." He adds.

Henrietta gleams when she hears his declaration, and she rushes over to him and gives him a great big hug.

"Then you will be dating both of us." Henrietta says to him.

"Huh?" He asks.

"We talked it over, and we decided to share you instead of fighting over you." Henrietta explains.

"You both are okay with this?"

They nod.

{Even if she says it's okay, do you honestly believe she is okay with this?}

"We don't want to be enemies, and everyone gets to be happy." Tabitha says.

"The only thing that we will eventually need to handle is the fact that we are both royalty." Henrietta says to Saito.

He gets a shocked look on his face.

'She knows?' He thinks to himself.

"Don't be surprised Saito. I am the queen after all. It would be hard to hide the fact that she is a princess from me for long."

"I guess you are right." He says to her.

He looks at the both of them and scratches the back of his head.

"This is kind of awkward for me. I am not used to the idea of dating two people at the same time. I was having a hard time finding one, let alone two." He admits.

"Welllllllllllll. . . ." Henrietta starts to say.

*Knock, knock, knock*

"Your highness, I am here with Siesta like you requested." Agnes says from the other side of the door.

"Come in." Henrietta says.

Agnes and Siesta enter Tabitha's room.

"What can I do for you your highness?" Siesta asks with a curtsy.

Henrietta looks over to Saito, and then back to Siesta.

"Eventually, you will become king when you marry one of us." Henrietta says to Saito.

'What is going on?' Agnes and Siesta both think.

"Many nobles have mistresses. We're ok with that as long as if we know." Tabitha adds.

"Here is a golden opportunity for you Siesta. Do you love Saito?" Henrietta asks.

Siesta nods her head vigorously and clasps her hands together.

'If this is what I think it is, then I will gladly become his mistress if that is my only option. I still wish I could have a wedding with him though.' Siesta thinks to herself.

'So they talked. It has finally come about.' Agnes thinks.

"Do you have feelings for her too?" Tabitha says to Saito.

A smile comes across his face when he looks at her smile.

"Again, this is odd for me to get used to, but yes I do."

Henrietta walks over to Siesta.

"Are you ok being a mistress to Saito?" Henrietta asks Siesta.

She nods.

"Then you have our approval." Tabitha says with a smile.

Siesta bows with respect to Tabitha and Henrietta, and then she practically jumps Saito and hangs off of his neck. She gives him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Henrietta looks over to Agnes.

'Oh no. Don't do this.' Agnes thinks.

Saito gets a surprised look on his face.

'Is she going to ask about Agnes too?' Saito asks himself.

"Do you have feelings for Agnes as well?" Tabitha asks.

"I do. I feel more for her than just a sparring partner."

{This is unacceptable. Tabitha is the only one.}

Agnes blushes and turns her head away.

'Damn it Saito. You keep making this more and more difficult. I can't take much more of this.' Agnes thinks to herself.

"Agnes. I can see how Saito makes you feel, but you need to tell us. Are you interested in Saito?"

"I . . . . . I . . . . . I can't do this. I will not get between you and Saito despite the others being involved as well. If you will excuse me your highness."

"But it is okay Agnes." Henrietta tries to tell Agnes.

Agnes grits her teeth.

"Please excuse me your highness."

"Very well Agnes."

Agnes rushes out the door and shuts it behind her. She leans against a wall for a moment to catch her breath.

"Damn!" She whispers to herself.

Siesta looks over to Henrietta.

"I heard she was a lesbian." Siesta says to the group.

Henrietta giggles, and shakes her head.

"That was just a rumor Siesta. She really likes him. I know it. I just don't understand why she isn't taking the opportunity."

"She must have decided that before she ever even came in here. She is the type that once she makes a decision, she sticks to it." Tabitha explains to Henrietta.

Saito gets a disappointed look on his face.

Henrietta puts a hand on Saito's shoulder.

"I am sure she will come around Saito." Henrietta tries to comfort Saito.

"Are you royalty Tabitha?" Siesta asks.

"She is a Galian princess. Her uncle is the king, but do not speak of this to anyone." Henrietta says to Siesta.

"How are we going to handle your relationship with Saito?" Tabitha asks Henrietta.

"For now, it can only be in secret. I plan on raising his social status, but I can't do too much at one time without bringing up too much suspicion. I want to make him a knight if you are ok with that. I might even be able to get him noble status being that he can cast magic. I also want to shift Siesta from the academy to him. But I can't focus on any of this until I get back from the front lines." Henrietta says.

Siesta gets a huge grin again.

"That does not mean that you will be allowed to bed with him before we do though." Henrietta says to Siesta.

Siesta pouts, but reluctantly nods in agreement.

"And we will eventually need to figure out how to make it work with the both of us." Tabitha adds.

"Agreed."

Henrietta walks over to Saito.

"I am very glad to know that I have someone to look forward to coming home to from the front lines."

Henrietta puts a hand behind Saito's neck and closes in for a kiss.

They share a very heartfelt, passionate, and long awaited for kiss.

{Your master is the only one you should be kissing!}

"We have one more MAJOR problem to deal with." Saito says.

"What is that?" Everyone else asks.

"We have to get rid of this damn voice in my head. It is going nuts over this, and it is driving me nuts as well."

Tabitha feels guilty over this and looks away in sorrow.

"I think I have an idea how to get rid of it, but I am going to need all of your help." Saito states.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

***** Spoiler *****

Don't worry. Agnes will make it into the harem. Just give me a little more time.

***** End Spoiler *****

V 1.1


	15. Chapter 15: Battle Of The Minds

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Sorry for the delay, but here we go.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifteen

Battle Of The Minds

*Knock, knock, knock*

"Who is it?" Asks the voice from the other side of the door.

"It's Saito."

The person on the other side of the door runs up to the door and opens it to reveal Montmorency. She is in her typical school uniform. Her golden hair hangs down to just above her stomach in large curls.

"Hello Saito. It's good to see you. I wanted to thank you for what you did the other day. You, Louise, and the others saved everyone. So, what brings you to me though?" She says to him.

"Well, I need your help with something, but I need you to keep it a secret."

"Why would I have to keep it a secret?"

"Because you are friends with Louise."

She crosses her arms.

"I know you are friends with her and it is a tall order to ask, but I really need your help."

"That really is a tall order Saito. We talk all the time, and you want me to keep something from her?"

"Yes." He simply says.

"Ugh. Come in here and let's talk."

He walks into her room as she shuts the door behind them.

"I like you Saito, but I want you to know that I cannot guarantee that I can keep whatever this is a secret from her." She says to him.

"At least you are being honest with me."

'Besides, she is a gossip queen. I need her help though.' He thinks to himself.

"Please sit down." She says as she motions to her desk chair.

He sits down and she sits down on her bed.

"What can I do for you Saito?"

"Do you know what was happening to me with the other runes, the way that they were affecting me?"

She gets a little bit of a sad look on her face and she looks down.

"Yes. I unfortunately do know. Louise told me."

"Well, that at least makes this a little easier to explain then. You are pretty good with potions, right?"

She nods.

They both think back on the potion that Louise accidently drank instead of Guiche.

"I was wondering if you have a potion that can make me go into a deep sleep for a while."

"How is that going to help you?"

"I want to take on the voice in my head. I can't have it interfering in my life. The voice even sometimes speaks to me when I am just trying to keep people safe. I am not trying to get rid of the runes. I am just trying to stop the voice from swaying my judgement at critical moments."

'That's not the only reason, but that is all she needs to know.' He thinks to himself.

"Colbert. . ." He starts to say.

His feeling for Colbert rush into him for a moment.

"Mentioned that it might be possible to confront the will that is trying to overpower me."

"That sounds dangerous though. Isn't it possible that you could lose?"

"Yes, but I have to try."

"Okay Saito. I think I have a potion that will be able to help you. I want to be present though. This sounds dangerous, and I should be there in case something goes wrong after drinking the potion."

"All right."

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In Tabitha's room, everyone prepares for what is about to happen.

'I wasn't expecting to see the queen here. They said she was here just to observe what is about to happen, but she did have that evening with Saito. Oh well.' Montmorency ponders.

'I wish Eleonore was here just in case, but I am not going to even try to ask her to keep a secret from her sister. I don't want to put her in that kind of position.' Saito thinks.

"Agnes." Saito says.

She walks over to him.

"Take this." He says as he hands Derflinger over to her.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Agnes asks.

"I have an eerie feeling about this. I haven't heard a peep from the voice in my head ever since I came up with this plan and started to prepare for it." He says.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Henrietta asks.

Tabitha shakes her head.

"The last time I tried defying the bond, I was inundated with headaches, vomiting, and weakness. I haven't gotten any of that this time." Saito says.

Siesta gets a worried look on her face.

He looks over to Agnes.

"If I lose this battle, then you may need to subdue me. I have no idea what might happen if the runes win and take me over."

Agnes looks at him in shock.

"I can't." Agnes says.

"You will." Saito says back with a serious look on his face.

Tabitha gets a sad look on her face as she looks to the side.

'It's all my fault that he has to go through this.' Tabitha thinks.

"Is the risk really worth it Saito?" Siesta asks.

He looks at her straight in the eyes.

"Yes. I have to do this." He declares.

He sits on the bed that he and Tabitha have been sharing.

Montmorency hands the potion over to him.

"I will keep an eye on you and monitor your condition once you drink this." Montmorency says to him.

"Bind me to the bed after I drink this." Saito tells them with a concerned look on his face.

'I want to say more to them, but I can't with Montmorency in here.' He thinks.

Tabitha, Henriettta and Siesta also have similar thoughts.

He gives everyone a good look and smiles.

'This'll be worth the risk if it works.' He thinks as he drinks the potion.

He lays back into the bed.

Tabitha and Henrietta use magic to bind him to the bed.

"Good luck Saito." Siesta says.

"Thank you." He says with a smile on his face.

Agnes watches and leans against the wall.

'He better make it back okay or I will beat his ass 'til the runes beg him to come back out.' Agnes thinks to herself.

Saito starts to falls asleep.

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Saito opens his eyes to see the yard of the academy. There is a light breeze. He is wearing the school uniform and has Derf Strapped to his side.

'What?'

He takes a look around and doesn't see anybody.

'This has to be in my head, right? Maybe Montmorency's potion worked.'

Saito starts to walk around the yard.

'Soo real.'

He touches a wall.

'So if I am here, then now is the time.'

He goes to the middle of the yard.

"Show yourself!" He calls out.

Nothing happens.

'So, is it going to play hard ball with me?'

"I know you are out there! Where are you?"

Still, nothing happens.

Saito grits his teeth.

"Maybe I will just have to kill Tabitha."

A figure steps out from behind a pillar along a walk way. It looks exactly like Saito, except it is wearing the old blue tunic that he used to wear.

Saito gets a surprised look on his face.

{Now that wouldn't be very nice. You shouldn't want to kill your master. You love her.}

"I knew that would draw you out."

The other Saito holds his hand up and stares at it, turning it back and forth.

{This is certainly interesting.}

He looks at Saito.

{So you have come to take me out?}

"Well, I don't suppose we can talk this out? You stop trying to influence me while I still love and take care of Tabitha."

{The bond is absolute devotion and you aren't completely devoted to your master.}

"I certainly am devoted to her."

The other Saito crosses his arms.

{No you are not. You love others as well. You must only love your master. She is the only one you need. She is your sole purpose in life.}

"So I can't love and care about others?"

{No.}

"Even if she has approved of me being with others."

{Your master is the only one. There can be no others. Focusing on others only takes you away from her. Being by her side is the only important thing. Everyone else can die as long as if you protect your master.}

Saito gets a pissed off look on his face.

"So even if other people are in more danger than she is, then I should drop everything to help her and forget everyone else?"

{Yes.}

'Now I understand why familiars become so attached and devoted to their masters.'

"And what if she became a terrible master?"

Saito knew Tabitha would never be like that, but Louise was.

{That does not matter. It is absolute. She is your master and you WILL love her no matter what she is like. You WILL obey her. You WILL submit to her.}

Saito closes his eyes a moment and shakes his head.

"I can see that this is going to get us nowhere."

{If you submit, then we don't have to do this.}

"Never. I love Tabitha, but I refuse to submit to these extremes."

Saito draws his sword.

{Do you honestly believe that you can win against me? Why do you think I didn't fight against you while you put this little scheme together?}

Saito starts to get a worried look on his face.

{I am more powerful than you.}

{You are weak.}

{My will is superior to yours and you know it.}

He starts to walk around Saito with a crazy smirk on his face.

{When I defeat you, you will become completely subservient to your master.}

{I've searched your memories and you nearly lost before. The only thing is, you had help then.}

The other Saito holds out his arms, motioning to the entire area.

{But there is no one here to save you now. It is just me and you.}

He gives a maniacal smile to Saito.

"I have to try."

Saito charges at his fake counterpart.

The other Saito makes a dodge to get out of the way. He barely makes the dodge.

{Your moves are pathetic and slow.}

Saito starts to get a little frantic with worry. He starts swinging every which way at the other Saito.

{I can read all of your moves. You are going to make this too easy for me.}

Saito charges at him again.

The other Saito crouches down and trips Saito.

Saito falls flat on the ground, but quickly does what he can to recover and gets back up. When he gets back up, he is quickly met with a jab to the face.

Saito holds the side of his face that got hit.

{That hurt didn't it?}

Saito doesn't say anything.

{The next one will hurt even more.}

The other Saito grins at Saito.

'Damn it! How am I going to win against someone so superior to me?'

{By the way, do you really think that you have control over Derflinger?}

"Huh?"

Derf. Starts to disappear from Saito's hands and reappear in the other Saito's hands.

{I know something else about you Saito.}

"What is that?"

{Perhaps your Gandalfr runes will be useful to me.}

Saito looks at the other Saito's hand and the Gandalfr runes appear on it and start to glow.

Fear starts to strike Saito.

{Hahahahahahahahaha!}

Saito holds out his hand to cast a spell.

"Icy . . ."

{I will use your own runes against you.}

". . Wind!"

The wind blows after the balls of water form and make the shards that fly towards the other Saito.

'Please work. I can't have this fail.'

Saito's worst fears come true.

The runes on the other Saito's hand glow and he cuts down every single shard with superhuman speed.

The other Saito points Derf at him in defiance.

{My turn.}

'Shit!'

Saito starts to back up as the other Saito charges at him.

Saito chants the spell to make a wall appear.

After a moment, the wall crumbles apart and the other Saito walks towards Saito.

{How long do you think that you can keep this pathetic fight up Saito?}

Saito starts to run, and he casts another spell.

"May the waters rise up. . ."

{Pathetic.}

"To form a barrier around me and lash out at my enemies. Dancing streams!"

{Fireball!}

The other Saito takes out one of the streams with the fireball. And then proceeds to take out the rest with Derf and more fireballs.

Saito tries to tumble out of the way of a slash that the other Saito was making at him, but still gets a cut on his arms. He winces a little and notices the blood coming from his wound.

The other Saito circles around Saito at an unparalleled speed and takes another swing at him.

"Gust of wind."

The other Saito uses Derf to absorb the gust, and then he continues his swing at Saito. This time, Saito gets a cut on his leg.

The other Saito manages to get a few more swings and cuts on Saito.

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Everyone watches over Saito while he is sleeping.

Over a period of time, they have watched him sweat, his runes have flashed in inconsistent intervals, and he has also just had lacerations appear all over his body out of nowhere. His head has been whipping back and forth and he has occasionally flailed about, but the restrains have kept him in place.

"What in the world is going on inside of him?" Henrietta says.

"He must be fighting the bond. It doesn't look like the battle is going well." Montmorency says.

Tabitha just sits at her table, wrecked with sadness and guilt.

'I am soo sorry Saito. You must hate me for having to go through this.'

"Can't we just wake him up and try something else?" Agnes asks.

"Absolutely not. I don't know if that would be a good idea at this point. We have no idea what would happen to his mind if we tried to rip him away from whatever he is doing." Montmorency says

"Saito, please come back safe." Siesta whispers as she tries to clean him up from his sweat and blood.

Everyone looks on in worry.

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"Flare!" Saito says.

Just after the spell goes off, he charges at the other Saito.

The other Saito stabs him in the shoulder.

"Ahhhhhhhrrrrrrrr!" Saito yells out.

{I told you that you couldn't possibly win against me. You are pathetic.}

Saito tried to grip at Derflinger to pull him out. He cuts his fingers in the process as blood drips down.

The other Saito pulls Derf out of Saito's shoulder.

{Play time is over. I don't want to wait any longer.}

The other Saito stands over Saito with a menacing look on his face.

'There has to be something I can do. This can't be the end.'

{I am going to defeat you in your own mind.}

The other Saito starts laughing.

'In my own mind.' Saito repeats to himself.

Saito stares up at his menacing counterpart.

'That's right. We are in MY mind. I should be in control of my mind, and not him. I bet he has been trying to play mind games with me. He has been using mantras against me to make me believe that I am the weaker one, and I bought into it. He has been using my fears against me. I bet that is why he wants this over so quickly. Maybe he knows that I could turn the tide if I caught on. Time for me to turn the tide against him. It's time to take Colbert's advice and try using mantras in my favor.'

"I'm . . not . . done. . . yet." He says to the other Saito.

{And what do you think you are going to do to me?}

"I am going to do a lot to you."

The other Saito gets a startled look on his face.

"You are the one that is weaker. You said it just now. This is my mind. You are in my territory."

{I will kill you with your own sword!}

He takes a battle stance against Saito.

"You aren't even the Gandalfr runes. You are just using stuff from my memories. I was the real Gandalfr."

'Since this is my mind, I wonder if this will work.'

"I am the Gandalfr."

The runes disappear from the other Saito's hand and start to etch back into Saito's hand in the typical fashion that the runes usually have.

Saito grits his teeth.

'Damn does that burn.'

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Everyone watches the Gandalfr runes etch into Saito's hand as he grits his teeth.

"His old runes?" Siesta says.

"What the hell is going on in there?" Agnes says.

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"And Derflinger was never your sword."

Derflinger also disappears from the other Saito's hands and reappears in his.

"These wounds are nothing."

All of the cuts and gashes that the other Saito made start to shrink and fade away.

A shocked look goes across the other Saito's face.

"You are the weaker one. I am stronger than you. This is my mind. You are the slower one."

The other Saito charges at him.

Saito points Derf at him defiantly.

"Gust of wind."

A gust of wind knocks the other Saito down.

"That is how it worked this whole time. It was all mind games. A test of wills."

{My will. . . }

"Is not stronger than mine. You are pathetic. I have nothing to fear from you."

The other Saito changes his shape into Tabitha's.

{Please don't hurt me Saito. I love you.}

This causes him to pause for a moment.

'I can't let him get to me.'

"I know that you are not the real Tabitha. That is your presence there and not hers."

He swings Derf and cuts the other Saito's shoulder.

He turns back to normal.

{Damn you.}

"I am on to your scams now. You will NOT win. Now it is my turn my doppelganger."

"In ex bet flame. Fireball!"

A fireball shoots out from Derflinger and burns the other Saito.

{AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!}

He falls to one knee, but he tries to get up and attack Saito again.

"Del wil sol la winde."

A ball of wind shoots from Derlfinger and knocks him over again.

"Earth, robust mother, answer my wishes and become a moving wall."

A wall of earth rises up from the ground. Saito darts around the wall and gives the other Saito a kick to the stomach, slamming him into the wall.

"Icy wind!"

Ice shards impale the other Saito to the wall.

"Ice turn to steel. Alchemy"

Saito makes some of the ice shards turn to steel shards that hold him against the wall.

{What are you going to do? You can't kill me. You need me. I am the bond.}

'What if he is right?'

"Even if I do need you here, that doesn't mean I can't keep you from influencing my decisions."

The other Saito gets a look of terror. He knows that Saito is right. His presence is necessary, but that is all.

{Wait! Let's talk about this.}

"No. I am tired of dealing with this."

{But. . . }

"An sur ver ang."

Nothing audible is heard from the other Saito.

Saito sighs.

"Silence."

Saito dismisses the Gandalfr runes and Derflinger and they disappear.

"Now let's make sure that you don't get loose and start wreaking havoc again."

First, Saito binds the other Saito with chains and then he completely encloses the other Saito with walls. Then he levitates the whole encasement out of the ground. He walks over to it and casts the protection spell on it that he learned from Eleonore.

'Perhaps I had her help after all.'

He looks at the encasement.

"Since this is in my head, maybe able I can do a little more with this. Maybe my own protection spells."

He puts a hand on it.

"May water drown whatever may wish to leave this. Reinforce."

The block glows white for a moment.

"May the wind sear whatever may wish to leave this. Reinforce."

It glows blue.

"May fire burn whatever may wish to leave this. Reinforce."

It glows red.

"May earth crush whatever may wish to leave this. Reinforce."

It glows orange.

"May the void null whatever may wish to leave this. Reinforce."

It glows black.

Saito lays out on the ground.

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Everyone looked on in shock and awe as Saito's wounds went away. His breathing leveled out and the sweating stopped.

The Gandalfr runes faded away.

His runes kept glowing on and off for a little while, and eventually they stopped.

He was calm.

"Is it over?" Siesta asks.

"It looks like it?" Henrietta says.

"Who won?" Agnes asks.

Montmorency shakes her head.

Montmorency casts a spell to check his vital signs.

"I don't know, but he seems stable, and everything else seems fine." Montmorency says.

Tabitha gives a slight sigh of relief.

"I am going to head out for a little bit. Is that ok?" Montmorency asks.

Everyone nods.

After she leaves Henrietta sits on the bed with Saito. And strokes his hair lightly and kisses his forehead.

After a few moments, he starts to open his eyes.

"Am I in the real world again?" Saito says groggily.

"Yes, Saito, and it sounds like the real you. I don't think you would have worded it that way if it wasn't really you." Henrietta sounds with a smile.

Agnes walks over to Saito. She is still holding onto Derflinger.

"Hey bro. Glad to have you back. Why did we see the Gandalfr runes?" Derf says.

"You saw that?" Saito asks.

Everyone nods.

"Well, the other me was using them, and then I imagined that I really had them again. Eventually I dismissed them though." Saito explains.

"That explains why they faded away then." Agnes adds.

"That was intense. You really had me worried Saito." Siesta Says.

"But are you sure you really took care of it?" Agnes asks.

"I guess we should find out. Henrietta, kiss me." He says.

She looks over to him.

"Huh?"

"It wouldn't like me kissing you."

She smirks.

"I bet you are just saying that to get a kiss out of me." Henrietta teasingly says.

"But it is true." Agnes adds again.

"I guess there is no choice." Henrietta teasingly says again.

She leans down and kisses Saito passionately, but not rough.

When they release and she backs away, he smiles.

"Nothing."

Agnes turns around, leans Derf against the wall, and leaves everyone in the room.

'Still no.' He thinks as she leaves.

"My turn! My turn!" Siesta joyfully says.

Everyone looks at her.

"We have to make sure." Siesta adds.

Saito smirks.

"Okay Siesta." Saito says to her.

She jumps over to the bed.

"I am really glad that you are okay." Siesta says seriously.

Siesta bends down and kisses him with a kiss that is more joyful than passionate.

They release.

He looks at her.

"Still nothing." He says.

"That is great Saito." Henrietta says.

"Could you release me now?" Saito says.

Henrietta releases him from his binds.

He looks over to Tabitha, who is looking away.

"Tabitha?" He says to her.

She slowly looks over in his direction. You could tell she had been crying.

He gets up and walks over to her.

"Why are you crying?"

"All of this was my fault. You had to go through so much because of me. I was also scared that you were going to lose, and it would have been all my fault." She says to him with a sad voice.

He cups her face and wipes her tears away with his thumbs.

"It's okay. I am okay. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you and the others saving me from Louise."

"You don't hate me?"

He shakes his head.

"Of course I don't, I love you, and that is not because of the runes."

She gives him a light smile.

He leans in and they share a passionate kiss, and then a hug after they release.

"Thank you everyone for being here for me." He says with a smile on his face.

"I am glad that you are yourself Saito. I unfortunately must be heading back to the palace now." Henrietta says slightly sorrowfully.

"You make sure that you stay safe." Saito says to her.

She puts her arms around his neck.

"So I can come back to you?" She says playfully again.

"I wouldn't be a good boyfriend if I didn't worry about my girfriends." He says while looking at Henrietta.

Everyone else knew that he meant them as well.

Henrietta smiles and kisses him again.

"We are glad to hear that." Henrietta says to him.

Siesta and Tabitha blush with that statement.

'Now I have to get to my next order of business' He secretly thinks.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 15 of my story.

V1.1


	16. Chapter 16: Lake Effect

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Awesome news – This story has hit over 20,000 views. Thank you everyone.

Part of this chapter corresponds with season 2 episode 9 of the anime.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixteen

Lake Effect

'A lot has happened over the past couple of days since my battle with the bond. Henrietta had left that evening for the castle. Agnes left a couple days later after a little bit more training me and the musketeers. I think today is the day I need to go on my little errand. I hope I get what I am looking for. I am really worried about this war for some reason.' Saito thinks as he stares out the bedroom window.

His thoughts get interrupted when he feels a set of arms wrap around him from behind and give him a hug.

"Are you okay Saito? You seem so serious for so early in the morning." Tabitha says to him.

She shifts to his side after the hug.

"I have been really worried about this war lately, and the feeling has gotten worse now that Henrietta and Agnes are both gone for the front lines." He says to her.

She squeezes his arm in a comforting manner.

"I can tell that you are contemplating something. So what are you thinking?" Tabitha asks him knowingly.

He gives a little smirk.

"I guess you have really gotten to know me well."

She nods.

"I want to go to Albion so that I can be there to protect them, but I don't know if all of the training I have been doing is enough to protect everyone if something really bad happens. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to any of you because I couldn't protect you."

"But we don't want you to die either, and you would also be putting yourself in danger if you go to the front line." She says in response.

He touches her hand gently with his.

"I know, but I am sure that you already knew that I couldn't stay back when she is in danger."

She nods.

"So what is your plan?" She asks.

"I want to borrow Sylphid to go somewhere."

"And that would be?" She says as she narrows her eyes at him.

"I don't suppose I could get away with saying I can't tell you?"

She shakes her head, puts her hands on her hips, and looks at him defiantly.

"No."

"I figured." He says dejectedly.

"Hmmph." She responds.

"I want to go to Lagdorian lake and talk with the water spirit there."

"You think that she can help you?"

"I have no idea, but I don't know where else to go. I am hoping that she has another artifact or something that she let me use. I know it is a long shot because she still doesn't have her ring back yet, but it is worth a try. I am hoping that she would be willing to deal with me because I was the Gandalfr."

"Then I am going to go with you."

He goes to look at her and retort back, but he is met with a glare from Tabitha.

"I am not letting you go alone."

He holds his hands up.

"Okay."

She nods and gives faint smirk that says 'I Win'.

"But couldn't this be a problem for you because you are from Galia?"

"I am . . . . escorting you." She says.

"You need to promise me something then."

She narrows her eyes.

"I am not budging. You need to promise me first."

"That's not fair."

"Take it or leave it."

"Very well."

"Say you promise."

She crosses her arms.

He crosses his.

They stand there for what seems like an eternity within a few seconds.

'I hope she doesn't make this a staring contest. She would win.' He thinks

"I promise." she says.

"If I say leave, then you need to leave."

"That's not fair."

"I need to make sure you are safe too. You are very capable, but I don't want to divide my attention up more than I have to. I want to be assured that at least you and Siesta are safe and out of the way."

'I love you, but I hate you for making me promise that. You know I don't break my promises.' She thinks.

"When do you want to leave?"

"In a couple of hours. I have a couple of other things I need to take care of first." He says to her.

"I will gather some things in the meantime." She says back.

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Saito Finds Siesta carrying a box.

"Hey Siesta! What are you up to?"

"I have to do some oddball chores since the school is shutting down for a while for repair." She says to him.

He grabs the box from her and walks with her.

"Where are you planning on going?"

"I have a couple of options, but I wanted to find out where you were going to go. I was hoping to head along with you if that was possible or you could come with me somewhere." She says with a smile on her face."

He stops walking and turns to her.

"Is something wrong Saito?"

"I am planning on making a side trip and then I was going to head for Albion."

She gets a shocked and scared look on her face.

"No. You can't. Why?"

"I think that you know why Siesta. I want to head up there for Henrietta and Agnes. I am worried about them and I want to be there to protect them in case something happens."

She almost looks like she is about to cry.

"I need to know that you are safe. I don't know what your options were, but you can't come with me."

"I have to come with you!" She croaks out while trying to hold back her tears.

"You can't Siesta. You can't come with me, and I don't want you following me out there either. I love you, and that is why I can't have you out there with me. I am going to go to the city there and make sure that everything is ok. If everything turns out okay, then I will just come back."

Tears start falling from her eyes.

He puts the box on the ground.

"You can't do that to me Saito. You can't make me worry about you either." She says to him furiously.

She starts pounding her hands on his chest.

"You can't. You can't. You can't." She keeps saying to him while shaking her head back and forth.

He wraps his arms around her and pulls her in so that she can't beat on his chest.

She lays her head on his shoulder and cries.

He starts to stroke her hair.

They stand there until she starts to calm down.

"Siesta?" He whispers into her ear.

She nods while her head is still on his shoulder.

"I need to make sure that they are okay. If everything works out, then I will be back without a hitch. I am just going to go to the city, check things out, and then come back if everything is okay. Okay Siesta?" He says softly to her.

'There is no changing his mind when it is made up.' She tells herself.

She lifts her head up from his shoulder.

He releases and then wipes her tears away.

She puts on a huge smile for him like she usually does.

He looks around to check and see if anyone is watching and doesn't see anyone

He gives her a soft kiss on the lips.

"It will be okay Siesta."

"Okay Saito." She says while smiling.

She picks up the box.

"Please be careful Saito."

He nods.

"I must get back to my duties." She says to him

She walks away from him.

"I am sorry Siesta." He says in a whisper.

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Later that day, Tabitha and Saito arrive at Lagdorian Lake.

"Are you sure about this Saito?"

"It's the only thing that I can think of."

They get off of Sylphid.

"Thank you Sylphid." He says to Sylphid.

"We will stay here." Tabitha says as she stands by a tree.

Slyphid sits there nest to Tabitha.

Saito walks towards the lake.

'Will this work? Will she help me? What should I say to her? Am I just worrying over nothing?' He asks himself as he walks towards the lake.

He stops and stands by the edge of the lake.

"Now what do I do?" He asks himself aloud.

He looks at the beautiful color of the lake.

"Spirit of the lake, hear my call!" He asks loudly.

He stands there for a moment.

"Nothing." He says softly in defeat.

He looks back to Tabitha, who just shrugs her shoulders.

"It is I, Saito." He says aloud to the lake again.

Nothing happens.

'Damn it. How the hell am I supposed to get her attention?'

He places Derflinger on the ground and he starts to strip down to his boxers.

"What are you doing Saito?" Tabitha asks him.

"I am going in there."

After he strips down to his boxers, he picks up a rock about the size of a small cell phone.

He starts to walk in there and then he begins to swim to the center.

He floats there for a moment when he reaches the center.

"May this rock become a shining beacon of light."

His runes start to light up.

The rock lights up.

He takes a deep breath and starts to swim down.

'Where is she?' He thinks.

As he swims down he starts feel what seems to be a jet of water flowing to his one side.

'Hmmmm. Where could that be flowing from?'

He tries to look around for a vent or something, but he doesn't seem to see anything.

All of a sudden he starts getting whooshed around as if he got swept up in something.

He tries to fight against this current, but it is to no avail.

The current lifts him up to above the water.

He lays on top of the water as if it were as solid as the ground.

"Woah."

He stands up to see the spirit standing on the water with him. She is in the shape of a woman. Her blue water is breathtakingly pure.

"Hello spirit of the lake."

"You are Saito, but you are different from before."

"I no longer have the Gandalfr runes."

"Never the less, you are the Gandalfr."

He bows his head to her.

"You are something different now, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

"I do not know exactly what my new runes mean, but I do have a new set of runes."

"May I see them?"

He turns around,

"I will cast a spell so you can see them better."

Saito uses levitation to bring Derflinger to him.

The spirits eyes go wide in shock.

"You don't know what these runes mean?" The spirit says in an odd tone.

"No, I don't." He says as he glares at Derflinger."

"I was sworn not to tell him." Derf says to the spirit.

"So that is why he does not know yet."

"What do they mean?" Saito asks in hope.

"I am sorry, but I will acknowledge the oath that Derflinger has taken and not tell you."

'Damn!' Saito screams in his head.

"So what brings you here Saito? Do you have my ring?"

He shakes his head back and forth.

"I am sorry, but I do not have it yet. We did have it, but it had somehow gotten stolen from us again."

Tabitha looks down in shame.

'It was stolen while it was under my care.' She thinks to herself.

The spirit gets an annoyed look on her face.

"I still plan on getting it back for you. I have not forgotten my promise." Saito says to try to appease her.

"Very well Saito. A Gandalfr keeps his word. So why are you here then?"

"I came here looking for your help."

She narrows her eyes.

"What kind of help are you looking for?"

"There is a war going on between Albion and Tristan."

"So what does that have to do with me?"

"In all honesty, it has nothing to do with you. It involves me though."

"Even if you are . . . the Gandalfr, I still need to understand why I should help you with this situation." She says to him.

"I Tristan is my country and I want to be able to protect the people that I love that reside in that country."

She walks around him, curiously listening to him. She makes only a single ripple in the water beneath them with each step that she makes.

"So what are you asking from me?"

"I wanted to know if you had another magical item, or something like that, that I could use to do this."

She comes up right behind his right shoulder and whispers into his ear.

"So you came here to ask me to lend you an item to help you with a battle that I am not a part of, and you haven't even returned the first item that you were supposed to bring back."

He takes a big gulp.

"You are correct." He simply says

She crosses her arms and walks to the front of him.

"But perhaps you could think of it as an investment." He says to her

"An investment?"

"If you are able to help me, then I could use it to help me with the quest for the other item."

"That is a very good argument that you came up with Saito. Let me tell you something though. Had you been someone else, then I would be very angry with you. We do have another dilemma though."

"What is that?"

"I do not have an item to give to you."

His shoulders slump.

"But. Because I like you, I do have something I can offer to you."

"What is that?" He asks.

"I could make you my avatar."

"Your avatar?"

"Yes. You could become my avatar, my knight. You would become the person that I would call upon to take on the tasks that I cannot take on and go to the places that I cannot go to. You would become an extension of me."

Tabitha gets a shocked look on her face.

"And this would help me protect everyone?" He asks as he takes a quick look over his shoulder to look at Tabitha.

"Yes it would. I will be able to teach all kinds of water magic."

"Than what do I have to do?"

"Not so fast Saito. I want to see how well you are you are attuned with water magic."

"So you want to see me cast some water spells?"

She nods.

He proceeds to show her some of the spells that Eleonore taught him including dancing streams and water cannon. He also shows her icy wind.

"Very impressive Saito. Who trained you?"

"I learned some things from her." He says as he points to Tabitha.

"And I also trained under Eleonore De La Valliere."

"By chance, is she the daughter of Karin of the heavy wind?"

"Why yes she is."

"Interesting. Karin knows the wind spirit quite well."

"The wind spirit?"

"Of course. You didn't think that there was only one spirit, did you?"

"I didn't think so, but I wasn't sure."

"You fit to become my avatar. Are you sure that this is what you really want. This is a big deal and it should not be treated lightly."

"If it means that I will be able to better protect everyone that I love, then I will do it."

"I want you to know that it takes months of training to learn some of the harder spells."

"I don't have months to learn though. I will be heading out in a day or two."

"Then that is a big predicament for you now isn't it?"

"Perhaps my runes will help me learn quicker."

"That may be so. It also depends on if your body can handle being able to cast the spells, but we can't do anything until you become my avatar."

"I will do it."

"Very well."

Her legs turn into a pillar of water and she wraps herself around Saito and embraces him close to herself. His face is right in front of hers.

He gets a light blush on his face.

She smiles.

"it has been a long time for me." She says to him.

"Soooo. . . . what do we do now?"

She puts a hand behind his head.

"My name is Serena." She whispers to him.

Then she slowly goes in for a kiss.

The kiss starts out like a normal kiss, except extremely wet.

She embraces him a little tighter.

He feels a flood of water enter into him that he can't seem to stop.

'I feel like I am going to drown.' He thinks.

Just as he is about to black out, the feeling stops.

She backs away from him with a slight smirk on her face.

"We are done. My avatar." she says to him.

He is completely wet. He wipes off his mouth.

He looks back over to Tabitha who has her arms crossed and is tapping her foot.

Sylphid has her head canted toward him.

"So you will be facing an army?"

"I am not entirely sure, but I guess that could become a possibility in the worst case scenario." He says to her."

"Then I will teach you two of the strongest spells. We will see if your body can handle it." She says to him.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 16 of my story.


	17. Chapter 17: Why Me

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

This chapter corresponds with season 2 episodes 9 and 10 of the anime.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventeen

Why Me

While riding Sylphid to Albion, Saito reflects on the letter written for him from Colbert that Agnes found.

'All Colbert wanted to do was atone for all of the deaths that he caused. He realized he couldn't no matter how hard he tried. It was always there. He asked me to take him to where I came from. I wish I could have given him that opportunity. It must have been weighing on him all the time. I can't even fathom what it must have been like for him. I'm not sure what to think about the second half of his letter though. He said he understood that it would probably be hard for me not to go to war. He understood that because of all of the training I was doing with Agnes and Eleonore, but he told me not to get used to it. He doesn't want me becoming cold to killing and war. I don't think I will be able to avoid getting involved in a war, and I will fight to protect the people I love.'

He gives Tabitha a little extra squeeze from behind as a hug.

"You alright Saito?"

"Yeah." He says to her.

'I'm sorry Colbert.'

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After being forced to land when they came near the port city Rosynth, Tabitha and Saito are surrounded by guards.

"Lay Down your weapons! This port is under control of the Germanian and Tristan army." Yells a tall burly man with a very distinguished mustache. He was of German descent.

Tabitha lays down her staff and Saito his sword.

"I am Friedrich Alexander. I am captain of the sea side border patrol. I recognize the Tristan academy uniforms, but I have not been given any information that any other outsiders are to arrive. Identify yourself." Friedrich orders Saito and Tabitha.

Muskets and wands are pointed at the two.

"I am Saito Hiraga and this is Tabitha De Orleans." Saito says.

"You are not on my list." Friedrich states.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Yells a woman.

The woman pushes through the guards and walks up to Saito.

"Julia." Saito says.

"It is good to see you Saito." Julia says.

"Do you know these people?" Firedrich asks.

"Yes I do." Julia says back to the burly man.

"They are not on my list." He states again.

"If my personal voucher is not good enough, then shall I go explain this to Agnes?" Julia says to Friedrich.

"That will not be necessary Lieutenant." Friedrich says without hesitation.

He crosses his arms.

"I will be watching you two. Be on my list next time I see you."

"Come now Saito. Let us go before we agitate him any further. He doesn't like it when people are in places they are not supposed to be." Julia states.

They start walking after they gather their things back up..

"So Agnes made you her new Lieutenant?" He asks Julia.

She nods.

"If I may ask, what brings you here Saito?"

"I needed to check on things."

"Saito! Is that you?" A man calls out from further away.

The trio looks over to see Julio walking toward them.

"I that was you I saw. I am glad you are here." Julio says to Saito.

"So why are you glad?" Saito asks.

"I need your help." Julio says.

"Really? With what?" Saito asks with a puzzled look on his face.

"We need to go save Louise?"

Saito's jaw drops.

"Huh?" Saito says.

"She was sent out to South Gotha to use her void magic as a preemptive strike. She was sent out there with a dragon knight, but they have not returned. I was asked to go find her and I quickly accepted." Julio tells Saito.

"So why me?" Saito asks.

"We are like best friends." Julio says.

Saito gets a chill down his spine.

'Best friends?' Saito says to himself.

Tabitha gives Saito a funny look.

"And I trust you in battle." Julio adds.

"What makes you think that I would agree to help her?" Saito asks.

"You are the kind of person that would do such a thing."

Saito slumps his shoulders.

'He's unfortunately right.' Saito thinks.

"Alright." Saito says.

"Then let's get going." Julio tells Saito.

"Can I at least go to the bathroom and grab a bite to go?"

"I guess it can't be helped." Julio says.

"Gee thanks." Saito says.

"Sorry Tabitha."

"Already?" Tabitha asks.

He nods.

"Julia, do you think that you could escort her to wherever she may need to go to for now so that we don't get into any more trouble."

"Anything for you Saito. It is the least I could do for you for everything that you have done for the musketeers."

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Saito decided to scout ahead on foot so that Julio could hang back with his dragon and not be noticed so easily. There is snow everywhere and it is pretty cold out.

He finds Louise wandering around. She seems pretty tired and out of it.

"Louise."

He runs up to her.

"Saito."

She runs up to him. She almost looks as if she was going to hug him, but decides not to out of uncertainty.

"Are you okay?" He asks with a serious look on his face.

"I am okay." Louise starts to say.

She gets a glum look on her face.

"But the dragon knight I rode in with died while trying to protect me." Louise finishes.

Saito shakes his head.

Out of the corner of their eyes they see a downed red dragon.

Saito starts to approach it.

A man pops out from under one of it's wings and lunges at Saito. He is wearing navy and gold armor on his shoulders and arms with a purple cape and brown clothing underneath.

Saito turns to the side, grasps the man's sword arm, and flips him easily over his leg. The man's footing was off because he had an injured leg.

The man gets up to one knee.

Saito draws his sword.

The warrior fires a burst of wind from his sword.

Saito uses Derflinger to absorb it.

"Kill me." The man says.

Saito was about to thrust his sword through the man, but decided last second to kick his chest, knocking the man over.

"Ugh!" The young warrior yells out just before he passes out.

Saito kicks the enemy's sword away.

"Can you carry him?" Louise asks him.

"Can I what?" Saito asks back.

"Can you carry him?" She asks again.

"Why in the world should I do that? And Why in the world should I listen to you?"

"I am asking you because he is injured, and it would taint my honor as a noble if I let something happen to an injured person."

"An injured person that tried to kill me, and enough of this business about honor and being a noble" He retorts back.

He pats him down to make sure there are no other weapons.

Louise glares at him.

"We need to talk Saito."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"I can't believe you." He says.

"I'm sorry Saito." She says sheepishly.

He leans the man against a tree.

"I was terrible to you."

"Yes you were."

She looks down in shame.

"But thank you for apologizing."

She looks up at him.

He gets a serious look on his face.

"You hit me. You whipped me. You treated me like a dog and even called me one all the time. You made me sleep on hay, took away meals when you didn't like something I did, and you even put a collar on me at one point."

She reflects on everything that he mentioned and is almost about to break down and cry.

"You and I could have had a better relationship if it wasn't for all of that. I don't . . . fully . . . blame you for it though."

She looks up at Saito with a puzzled look.

"Your society raises most nobles to look down on commoners, and that is exactly what was engrained into your head too but your father. On top of that, you are constantly trying to impress your father and show him you are not a zero."

'I am always trying to impress him.' She thinks to herself.

"So you summoned me, a commoner, instead of a 'normal familiar' according to your father. He gave you so much flack for that. So you treated me like a dog so that you could feel like you had a regular familiar, and then you took all of your anger and frustration with your father out on me. That is why I haven't been even angrier with you."

She starts crying.

"I am so sorry Saito. I am so, so, so sorry."

She tries to wipe away some of her tears.

"Why did you tell my sister about my plans to be up here with Henrietta, and why did you even bother coming out here to save me?"

"Julio asked me to help him save you. He is waiting for my signal."

"Julio." Louise says as she gets a smile on her face from thinking about him.

"And I told your sister because I didn't want your sister to have her younger sibling die over a misconception of honor."

"Honor is why nobles do things. Noble honor is everything to a noble. I was asked to do this for the queen, and that is a great honor even if I die. I failed the mission I was given." Louise says.

"And here I heard that the Tristan nobles were soft. Your dedication is admirable."

Saito and Louise look over to the warrior.

"That is why I asked you to kill me. It is honorable to die for your country. Kill or be killed."

"Then why don't the both of you commit seppuku then? If you want to die so badly and are so noble honor driven that you can't stand it."

"Seppuku?" Louise says.

"You cut yourself in the stomach and die instead of facing dishonor."

Louise stops and ponders it for a moment.

Saito's eyes go wide for a moment.

"I was joking. I didn't mean for you to take it seriously!" Saito says.

"But it would be better than going back and telling Henrietta that I failed."

"You both are fools. What good is noble honor if you are dead? Besides, it's not like there wasn't a plan B if you failed the mission with all of those soldiers around." Saito says.

The warrior gets an annoyed look on his face.

"You have to forgive him. He doesn't understand what noble honor means for a noble." Louise says to the young man.

"If you don't fight for noble honor, then why in the world are you out here in enemy territory." The man asks.

"I fight to protect. To protect the people I love and the people I care about." Saito says to him.

"For love huh? I wish I could say the same. I left the person I love in the name of honor."

Saito pauses a moment.

"What?" Saito says.

"Is this the person you are talking about?" Louise says as she shows the young man picture of a girl in a locket that he dropped.

He reaches for the locket and she hands it back to him.

"Yes. I broke off my engagement to her when I left to fight. I figured I was going to die, so I broke it off." He says to Saito and Louise.

"You are a terrible man." Saito says to him.

He tries to get up and punch Saito, but Saito knocks him down to the ground again.

"Ooof!" The guy says.

"Knock it off!" Saito yells at the guy.

"I have taken enough from you." He says to Saito.

"Do you want to know why I said that?"

The man crosses his arms.

"Fine."

"You are a man under that noble title of yours. You don't just break things off simply because you are going to war and you might die. I didn't. You do everything you can to make sure you come back to the one you love." Saito says.

'He didn't? So who does he love? Tabitha? Or is it someone else?' Louise thinks.

"He is right. You shouldn't automatically think that you are going to die. You need to try and live. I bet she is waiting for you. You should go back to her." Louise adds.

"You think so?" He asks.

Saito and Louise both nod.

"You are injured anyways. Go back home to her." Saito says.

"What is your name? I am Louise." Louise says.

"I am Henry Stafford of the Albion air force."

"I am Saito."

They hear a gun shot.

"Shit." Saito says.

"Go. You saved my life. I will keep their attention."

"Thank you Henry." Saito says.

Saito and Louise run off. When they get far enough away, Saito uses flame to get Julio's attention and they fly off.

'I hope to meet you again Saito.' Henry thinks.

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"Louise! I am so glad you made it back okay!" Henrietta says to Louise as she rushes over to her to give her a hug.

It has been a number of hours since Saito and Julio returned with Louise. They were in a room set aside for the queen. She was extremely busy and couldn't meet with them until now. Agnes is also in the room.

"It is also good to see that you are also okay Saito. It is unexpected to see you here, but I am glad you were able to help bring Louise back." Henrietta says to Saito with a look that says 'We are going to talk about this'.

Saito gulps.

"I am sorry I failed your highness." Louise says.

Henrietta touches Louise's shoulders.

"It is ok Louise. I have good news. Word has gotten back from the forces that have been to South Gotha. We have taken the city with no resistance. Their forces pulled out." Henrietta says to Louise.

'No resistance? Is there a trick to this? Was it really that easy?' Saito asks himself.

Louise gets down to one knee and bows her head to Henrietta.

"I will make this up to you. Fighting for you, and even dying for you is the greatest honor for a noble. Send me out on whatever dangerous mission you wish. I will prove my worthiness to you." Louise says determinedly.

'Do you really feel that strongly about honor, or is this still about your father?' Saito wonders.

Henrietta gets a shocked look on her face.

"Very well Louise. I will keep this in mind. You are dismissed."

Louise exits the room.

"Saito." Henrietta says as she walks up to him.

"Yes?" He says.

She gives him a hug.

"It is very refreshing to see you, but what are you doing here?"

She releases from the hug.

He scratches the back of his head.

"Wellllllllll." He says as he tries to find the right words to say.

Henrietta puts her hands on her hips.

"Out with it Saito." She adds in a little bit more of a serious tone.

"I wanted to check on you two."

Agnes crosses her arms.

"I have been getting a bad feeling about all of this and I wanted to make sure that you were ok." Saito says to Henrietta as he tries to avoid Agnes' glare.

"As you can see, everything is going ok. There is no need for you to worry. The enemy withdrew from South Gotha. I am very glad to know that you were worried about me though." She tells Saito.

He gives her a smile.

"As I have said before, I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend if I didn't worry about you."

"Thank you Saito."

She gives him a kiss and a hug.

"You smell like a fresh sea breeze." Henrietta says to him.

"Really?"

'Crap! Is that a side effect from being the water spirit's avatar? I better not tell her why yet.'

"Well, I guess that is better than smelling sweat." He Says to her.

"I guess you are right. It just seems odd." Henrietta says to Saito.

She hugs him again and gives a smile.

"I am at least a little happy to see you, but don't make me worry either. I unfortunately have to bid you farewell for now. I have been very busy, but maybe we can have some time together in South Gatha"

He gives her another smile.

"That would be great."

As he exits the room, Agnes follows him.

When the door shuts, she punches his shoulder.

"What was that for?" He asks her.

"Henrietta was avoiding from you coming out here because she didn't want to worry about you either."

"That might be so, but I had to investigate this gut feeling of mine. You know what it is like to get one of those?"

"Okay Saito. I get your point. Just remember that Henrietta would be very sad if something happened to you. She doesn't want to go through another heartache again and I don't want to see her go through that again either." Agnes says to him.

'And I don't want anything to happen to you either.' They both think.

"I understand Agnes."

'Hopefully I am just worrying over nothing.' Saito thinks as he heads back to be with Tabitha.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 17 of my story.


	18. Chapter 18: The New Year's Festival

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

This chapter corresponds with season 2 episode 11 of the anime.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Eighteen

The New Year's Festival

Saito and Tabitha walk the streets of South Gotha with her arm linked with his.

"So the Silver Pentecost is their new year's festival?" Saito asks.

Tabitha nods.

"It must be a pretty big event here for Albion to request a cease-fire for the festival." Saito states.

"I knew it was a big thing, but I didn't know it was that important either. It is odd to see so many people happy during a war." Tabitha says to Saito.

"I can't blame these people though. Albion pulled out and left all of the civilians in the city. They also took most of the food supply when they pulled out, and we came in and fed them. Who would bite the hand that feeds them?"

Tabitha nods in agreement.

They look around and they see men from the joint army mingling with the townsfolk.

"We should enjoy this while we can." Saito says with a smile to Tabitha.

"We should." Tabitha says in agreement.

"It's like a date then." Saito whispers into her ear.

She gets a light blush in her face and a smile.

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"Thank you for coming here Louise and Julio." Henrietta says.

"It is an honor your highness. I will glady accept any mission for you." Louise says in return while bowing and with a hand to her chest.

"As you know, there is a cease-fire for the Silver Pentecost, but we cannot be assured that the Albion forces are not up to something. That is why we want you to fly to the capital, Londinium, and scope out the city. We would be breaking the treaty if we send the dragon knights, but you two might be an exception." General Poitiers says to Louise and Julio.

"You are a student and Julio is a priest that is unaffiliated with the army." Henrietta adds.

"Your previous mission was an utter failure, but I am sure that you can handle a simple survey mission." General Poitiers says.

Louise gets an annoyed look on her face.

"I will make sure we succeed."

Henrietta smiles to Louise.

"Please be careful out there. If it becomes too difficult, then turn around. The mission is not worth your or Julio's life."

"We will be safe your highness." Julio says to assure Henrietta.

"Thank you Julio." Henrietta says in return.

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Tabitha and Saito see Julio and Louise fly overhead in his white dragon Azuro.

'I wonder where they are going.' They both think to themselves.

"Saito?" Asks a very familiar female voice.

The duet look to where the voice came from.

"Siesta?" Says with a shocked tone.

Siesta drops her bag, runs over to Saito, and gives him a big hug.

"I am so glad to see you Saito. I didn't think I was going to find you." Siesta says to him.

'I thought I told her to stay away.' Saito thinks while he gives her a hug back.

Tabitha gets a slightly annoyed look on her face. She knows that Saito told her to stay away because he wanted to know she was safe.

'So she shows up here, in the middle of enemy territory.' Tabitha thinks.

Siesta could tell he was tense from the way he hugged her.

"Perhaps I should leave you two be for a while. I have a feeling that you have some things that you wish to discuss with her." Tabitha says.

Saito looks like he is about to retort, but gets interrupted by Tabitha.

"It's ok. Just make sure to come get me a little later."

"Okay. Thanks." Saito says to her.

She gives him a kiss on the cheek. She gets a book out and starts reading as she walks away.

After Tabitha walks away, Saito glares at Siesta

"Why are you here?" Saito says with a slightly serious and annoyed tone.

Siesta gives a nervous smile to Saito.

"My uncle is opening a branch here and I asked if I could come with him.

"Your uncle?"

"Saito darling!" Scarron yells out from a distance.

'Oh crap!'

Scarron starts barreling down towards their direction while wearing his typical half cut purple tank top and navy girl's boy shorts. He has a mustache, goatee and he wears purple lipstick. He gives Saito giant bear hug that practically crushing him.

Siesta sweat drops.

"This is your uncle?" Saito asks.

She nods.

"Who are you calling uncle?" Scarron says scarily to Saito.

"Um, um, I mean mademoiselle."

"So you know Siesta?" Scarron asks Saito.

"Yes. From the institute of magic."

"So does that mean this is the dreamy one you were searching for in Albion? Is Saito the one that you are so in love with?"

Siesta starts waving her hands back and forth in the middle of Scarron revealing her true intentions for coming.

'I knew it.' Saito thinks.

Scarron starts smacking Saito's back.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my! Saito is such a playboy. First Louise . . ." Scarron starts to yell out.

"He. . . is not with Louise anymore. He is with . . " Siesta corrects Scarron.

Saito gives her a look.

"Another student named Tabitha." Siesta says to Scarron.

"Is this a love triangle?" Scarron asks aloud.

'Well, it's a little more than a triangle.' Saito and Siesta both think, and then look at each other.

"Well you better have good intentions for her Saito." Scarron says as he waves his finger at Saito.

Saito smiles.

"Nothing but good intentions." Saito says to Scarron.

"You should come to the tavern." Siesta says to Saito with an excited smile on her face.

"That sounds like fun, and maybe I could bring something back to Tabitha from there too." Saito adds.

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"To think that you were the one that Siesta had been telling us so much about." Jessica says to Saito.

Jessica is wearing a green outfit with white cuffs and collar. Her long, dark hair goes half way down her back.

Saito sits there trying to drink while holding back a blush.

'How much has she been telling them? One thing is for sure though, she really does love me.' Saito thinks.

"Too bad for Louise, but I am going to root for my cousin of course." Jessica says teasingly to Siesta.

'Cousin?' Saito thinks.

He starts looking and comparing the both of them.

'Their faces look a lot alike, and their hair is similar. They both are certainly large chested.'

He then looks over to Scarron, and Scarron flexes his pecks for Saito.

"It runs in the family." Scarron says to him.

Saito puts his hand to his face.

"Saito, is that you?" Guiche says as he walks up to their table.

He is wearing a white outfit with a purple robe over it.

He is also sporting a new medal.

"Guiche?"

Guiche smile as he sees everyone looking at his new medal.

"This is the Order of the White Fleece Spirit." Guiche tells everyone.

He strikes a proud pose.

"It's not much, but I made a major contribution in a battle. General Poitiers bestowed upon me himself." He tells everyone.

"Wow." Saito says in a partially shocked tone.

Guiche bows his head and closes his eyes.

"There is no greater honor for a noble." Guiche says as he makes another pose and makes a prideful laugh.

Saito grits his teeth a little bit in annoyance.

Jessica pulls up another chair for Guiche.

After he sits down, Guiche starts polishing his new medal.

"It's too bad none of the others are here. I would show them my medal too."

Saito just leans his head on his hand while Guiche boasts.

Just then Louise and Julio enter into the tavern. They come in with arms linked.

Scarron gets up and greets Louise with a hug.

"I didn't know you were opening up a branch here?" Louise says to Scarron.

Scarron proudly nods his head.

While Scarron starts talking about how well business is going, Jessica pulls Siesta close to her and whispers into her ear.

"If you really want to show Saito how much you love him, then you should dress up in a scantily clad bunny outfit for him when you have some alone time. I hear men rave about it." She whispers to Siesta.

"Jessica!" Siesta says in shock.

"Shhhhhhhhh. Not so loud. He is a good man, and I bet he would love it." Jessica says to Siesta.

"You think so?"

"I could wear it for him and prove it to you." Jessica says teasingly to her cousin.

"You wouldn't." Siesta says as she gives Jessica a serious look.

"Relax. I wouldn't do that to you. You are my cousin, but he is cute."

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An Albion soldier uses his sword to cut through some ice on top of a spring.

"Is there really something advantageous here that will allow us to win the war magistrate Sheffield?" The soldier says to Sheffield.

She smiles.

"Oh yes there is my overly curious soldier. One third of South Gotha is supplied by this spring." She says.

She holds out her hand over the hole that the soldier made.

The soldier gets a shocked look on his face.

"So you recognize this, do you? It's Andvari's ring."

Runes on Sheffield's head begin to glow.

The ring starts to glow.

A drop falls from the ring into the spring.

She gives a mischievous smile.

When the man goes to look back at Sheffield, she is gone.

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"I'm telling you it was a fairy!" Guiche says to everybody.

"Really?" Julio says to Guiche.

"I really saw it." Guiche says.

Saito is just leaning back in his chair listening to Guiche's story.

"I was on the march from Rosynth and we encountered the enemy. We were ambushed by the enemy. They were hiding out in the mountains. I was going to die. I knew it. The was no way I was going to survive from the injury that I sustained. But there was a flash of light, and my injuries were gone. She stood there for a brief moment, and then she was gone. Thank you dear fairy." Guiche tells his story.

"Are you sure it wasn't a dream?" Jessica asks.

"People do see things in the face of death." Julio says to him.

"It was real. My injuries are all gone."

"I am glad that you came back alive. I would be terrified to die in an unknown battlefield somewhere." Siesta says to Guiche.

Guiche stands up proudly and strikes a pose.

"I am a noble after all. I am not afraid to die. I would die at any time if it is in the name of honor. I would at least like to get another medal before I die though." Guiche says proudly.

Saito leans forward and slams his fists on the table, shocking everyone there.

"Are you stupid?" Saito says so Guiche as he stands up.

"What?" Guiche retorts back with a pissed off look on his face.

"You lucked out and survived that battle. Are you really so willing to waste the life that just got saved. Dying in the name of honor is bullshit. That is a simple minded ideology." Saito angrily says to Guiche.

"Apologize to Guiche, Saito. Honor is more important than life to a noble." Louise says to Saito.

"I have no reason to. How about you explain how important that medal was to Montmorency when you are dead." Saito retorts back to Louise and Guiche.

Guiche stands there angry, but silent.

"That's right. You couldn't. If you die, it's over."

"I don't need a metal, and I don't need anyone to acknowledge me. I don't care as long as the queen understands. That is what honor is for me I would gladly give my life away for her." Louise says to Saito.

Saito grits his teeth.

"Are the two of you really that desperate for honor? Neither of you will ever understand my ways of thinking."

Saito storms out with his cape flailing behind him.

"You better go get him Siesta. Now is your chance." Jessica says to Siesta in a concerned manner."

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Saito storms through the streets.

"Are you sure you weren't too harsh partner?" Derf says to Saito.

"No. I absolutely wasn't. You throw the word honor out there and people are willing to give up their lives. I truly am from another world. They will die just from thinking that. Louise is so obsessed with honoring her family name that she doesn't even think twice about it. Guiche comes from a military family. So of course it was engrained in him too. I am not going to take back what I said."

"Very well. I do see your point."

"Saito! Please wait!" Siesta says from behind him.

She wraps her arms around him from behind.

"Siesta?"

Siesta hides her face in his back.

"Please don't be mad at me Saito. I know I am a nuisance. I came her looking for you when you explicitly told me not to come to Albion."

He turns around to face her.

She grabs her shoulders.

"It's cold Saito."

He puts his arm around her.

"Let's get you somewhere warm."

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Saito sits on the bed after lighting up a fire in a room he got at an inn.

She sits on his lap and he cradles her in his arms.

"Is this better now?" He asks Siesta.

"Actually, I am hot now. I wasn't really cold before, but I wanted to be alone with you and have you hold me."

"Huh?"

"I love you Saito. I couldn't stand not being by your side. I finally got to be together with you and you ran off."

She gives him a deep kiss that he gladly returns.

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Henrietta and Poitiers hear an explosion from outside. And look to the window.

Agnes barges in through the door huffing and puffing.

"Your highness! There is a revolt. Our own men are attacking each other. We have to get out of here!" Agnes yells out.

"That is preposterous! What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Poitiers says from his position be the windows.

He turns his head towards Agnes.

"Watch out!" Agnes yells out.

A fireball breaches the window where he is standing.

Agnes jumps in front of Henrietta to protect her from the blast.

The room gets engulfed in flames.

"General Poitiers!" Henrietta screams out.

"We have to get out of here my queen."

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"Please take this Saito."

Siesta pulls a small vile out from her cleavage.

"What is this?"

"I want you to have this. It is a sleeping potion. I want you to use it in case you get in a sticky situation. I want you to stay alive. I don't know what I would do without you. It is the only thing that I have to offer you."

"Thank you Siesta."

He gives her another kiss after touching her cheek with his hand.

"I love you Siesta. I want you to know that."

She nods and tries to wipe away a couple tears.

They hear screams and an explosion from outside.

"What the hell?" Saito says.

He gets up and takes a sideways glance out the window. He sees the city in chaos. Then he looks back to Siesta.

"I need you to stick with me. We have to get out of here. Do not leave my side and watch your back." He says to Siesta.

They exit their room holding hands.

'I hope Tabitha is okay?' Saito wonders.

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After making their way outside, Saito and Siesta hear a scream.

"Crap. That sounded like Louise."

"Let's go see if she needs help." Siesta says to him.

He nods.

They run and see Julio and Louise surrounded by a handful of troops.

Saito runs over and takes one out from behind. While Julio takes out the others.

"It is good to see Saito."

"What the heck is going on?" Saito asks.

"The eyes of our men that are attacking us are red. They turned red after I saw some men drinking out of a well. " Louise says.

"It's as if they are under some kind of mind control." Julio explains even further to Saito.

Saito remembers how Andvari's ring was used on Louise.

"Give me a moment."

"Huh?"

'Serena?' Saito thinks.

'Yes my young warrior.'

He quickly explains the situation to her through his thoughts.

'Someone is using the ring on your troops. It can affect entire bodies of water. This is very bad.'

'Is there any way to counteract it? Can we brake the troops out of their mind control without killing them?'

'You do not have enough time and endurance to purify every single last person. They are trying to kill you. The best we can do is purify the water so that no one else can be effected.'

'Damn it!'

'I am sorry Saito. That is the best we can do.'

'Very Well.'

"Let's get to the well."

"What? Are you crazy? We need to get out of here." Louise says to Saito.

"I need to purify the water."

"You can do that?" Siesta asks.

"No time to explain. Let's do this and then get the hell out of here." Saito explains.

The go over to the well. Everyone takes defensive stances around Saito.

'Hold out your hand and repeat what I say.' The water spirit instructs Saito.

He holds his hand over the well.

His eyes turn a deep blue. A blue as deep as the oceans themselves.

Siesta catches a glance into Saito's eyes. She could swear that she could see rushing waters in them.

"Serena. Great water spirit. Lend me your strength and purify this defiled water from all of it's impurities."

A light blue sparkly dusk falls from Saito's hand into the well.

"Saito? We have a problem." Julio says.

Saito looks up and sees that they are surrounded.

"Icy wind!" Tabitha yells out from above as ice shards hit some of the enemy.

Saito smiles.

"Flame!" Saito yells out and takes out a couple more men.

"Explosion!" Louise calls out.

Julio also takes out a soldier.

"I am sorry." Saito says to the fallen men.

Tabitha lands with Slyphid.

"It is good to see you."

"You didn't come home." Tabitha tells Saito in a scolding manner.

"Long story." Saito says back.

"I think I understand." Tabitha says back to him.

"I can lighten your burden if you can get me back to my dragon." Julio says to Tabitha.

She nods.

They all get on Sylphid and fly away.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 18 of my story.


	19. Chapter 19: Farewell

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

This chapter corresponds with season 2 episode 12 of the anime.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Nineteen

Farewell

Saito and Tabitha were walking the streets of Rosynth.

People are frantically packing up to leave the port city. Everyone was told that an army of 70,000 was approaching the city. The remaining knights and warriors have been doing what they can to keep people calm so that the air ships are boarded safely.

Saito and Tabitha managed to get a little bit of fruit from a vendor that let then have it for free.

Tabitha was clinging to his arm pretty tightly.

Despite how casually they were walking, they both had a lot running on their minds.

After swallowing down a piece of apple, Saito begins to speak.

"Are you sure that you want to wait to be on one of the last ships?"

She stops for a moment and glares at him.

He holds up his hands.

"Okay." He says defensively.

'He hasn't directly told me, but I know he isn't planning on leaving with me. He needs to come to come back with me, but I don't think that there is any way I can convince him otherwise.' Tabitha thinks to herself.

"Siesta is busy helping her uncle." Saito says to Tabitha.

'That's a shame. She probably really wanted to be with us, but she'd have to abandon her family to do so.' Tabitha thinks.

As they are walking, they pass another vendor that was packing up. He still had some things on his table.

'Maybe I should see what he has. Maybe I can get something for Tabitha.'

"Wait here a moment." Saito says to Tabitha.

He walks over to the table and he saw a few things on the table. Most of it wasn't very interesting to Saito, but he did see some flowers in some kind of glass shell, and a necklace.

"Is there something here that I can help you with young man? I don't have much left that is out to offer. I am in a bit of a rush to clean up." The vendor says to him.

'Those flowers remind me too much of the movie Beauty and the Beast. What would Tabitha do with that anyways?' Saito says to himself.

"How about that necklace?" Saito says to the vendor.

The necklace looked very nicely made. It had a blue gem on it that was attached to a set of black strings that were intertwined. A small amount of gold attached the gem to the necklace.

The man looks at the necklace and then at Saito.

"I'll tell you what. If you can somehow get me some water that isn't from any well, then you can have it. I am parched. I haven't drank a single thing since I found out about the tainted wells."

Saito smiles.

"Do you have something to put the water in?"

The man gets a puzzled look on his face, but he gets out a pitcher that he had off to the side.

"If you are going to use that water spell that mages typically use, it can get quite messy."

"I can do something a little better than that."

Saito's eyes start to get that deep blue to them again, and then he points to the vase. He wiggles his finger as if motioning for something for the water to rise up inside of the pitcher. The pitcher slowly fills partially up with water.

"How about that?" Saito asks.

"I have never, ever seen that before."

The man picks up the pitcher and drinks the water.

"That is the most refreshing water I have ever tasted."

"So is it worth the necklace?" Saito asks with a smile on his face.

The man nods.

"It most certainly is. Thank you."

"No. Thank you." Saito says in return.

The man hands him the necklace and then goes back to work.

Saito walks over with the necklace in hand.

"What is that?" Tabitha asks.

"It is for you."

She smiles and blushes.

"Thank you Saito."

He puts the necklace around her neck and gives her a soft kiss.

I wanted to give this to you while I still had the chance.

Tabitha loses some of her smile.

'Still?' She thinks.

'Shit. I better distract her thoughts. I think she noticed my slip.' Saito thinks.

"I think it looks very nice on you." He says to her.

'Too bad I don't have enough time to do something for the others too.'

Tabitha brightens up a little bit again from the compliment.

They link their arms together again and keep walking as people hustle and bustle around them.

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A few hours later.

The sunlight has dimmed.

"Tabitha. They are boarding the last couple ships. You should get going." Saito says.

"And what about you?" Tabitha asks with her arms crossed.

I am going to wait and make sure that everyone else gets on board."

"Then I will wait with you." She says with a determined look on her face.

"Then I guess I have to remind you that you promised me."

"I hate you for making me make that promise."

She glares at him.

He crosses his arms.

"I will be fine. I will join you as soon as I can."

"Then take Sylphid at least, and no buts. I will not accept any other answer. You will come back."

'Damnit.' Saito thinks.

"Alright. I will take Sylphid with me."

He gives her a long hug and eventually releases.

"Goodb. . . ."

Saito gets interrupted by Tabitha's finger being put on his mouth.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence! You are not allowed to say that to me!" She says with a hint of anger and frustration.

"I love you Tabitha."

"I love you too Saito."

They kiss and embrace each other again.

Tabitha walks over and gives Sylphid her instructions before she leaves. She turns one more time only to see Saito's back as they take their separate paths.

She clutches the necklace he gave her.

'Please come back to me and the others Saito. We need you.'

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After roaming a couple of streets, Saito comes across Louise walking around too. She seems nervous, but she isn't rushing around like she is trying to leave.

Someone had noticed Saito and was about to engage Saito, but noticed that he was about to talk to Louise. So the figure stayed in the shadows.

Another figure notices Saito and Louise too, but hides around another corner of a building to watch as well.

"Louise?" Says Saito.

"Saito?" Says Louise.

"What are you doing Louise?" Saito asks.

"I am getting ready to take the rear guard to make sure everyone else gets out safely."

"What! Were you ordered to do this?" He asks.

"I was not ordered, but I was asked by Cardinal Mazarin to protect the queen's life. She doesn't know of this."

'Damn him. I know Henrietta wouldn't want that at all.' He thinks to himself.

"And you accepted just like that?"

"Of course I did Saito. It is an honor. I will prove my usefulness. I will protect her with my void magic."

Saito smacks his forehead.

"You do know that there is an army of 70,000 coming?"

"Of course I do." Louise says plainly with her arms crossed.

"Are you crazy? You are going to die!"

She gets a pissed off look on her face.

"I don't care what you think Saito. I am going to do this in the name of honor. I don't want to die, but it doesn't matter. I have made up my mind."

"Is this honor for the queen or is this to honor yourself in your father's eyes?"

Louise gets infuriated.

"It doesn't matter!" Louise yells at Saito.

"So there is nothing I can do to change your mind and turn around?"

"Absolutely not."

He sighs.

'I feel sorry for you.' He thinks.

"Very well Louise." He says as he casually puts his hand on the hilt of Derflinger, who is strapped to his side.

"You are not going to stop me?" She asks with a puzzled look on her face.

He lunges forward and slams the hilt of Derflinger into her gut.

"Of course I am." He says to her.

She goes wide eyed and then slumps over his shoulder.

One of the figures on the sideline walks out.

"Well that was certainly surprising." Julio says.

"Julio?"

Julio nods.

"What are you doing here? Are you here to make sure she does her DUTY?" Saito asks.

"Actually, I was going to ask her to run away. I wish no harm to come to the queen, but I care too much for Louise to see her go out there foolishly and die."

"Then would you mind taking her to the ship? And make sure she does try anything else that is stupid." Saito says to Julio.

"Of course I will take her, but what are you going to do?" Julio asks.

Saito carefully hands Louise over to him.

"I am taking the rear guard. I had planned to this whole time." Saito says in response.

"But I thought that you were against doing things like that in the name of honor."

"I am not doing this in the name of honor. I am doing this to protect the people I love and the people I care about."

"I am touched by your words Saito. You are truly a strange, but remarkable person. I would swear my loyalty to you if I was not bound already." Julio says with a smile on his face.

"Thanks, I think." Saito replies as he starts to turn around.

"By the way." Julio starts to say.

Saito turns his head back for a moment.

"Yes?"

"It has been an honor to have met you and fight by your side. Despite our differences in the past, I wish I could have gotten to know you better. Good luck Saito."

Saito gets surprised a little from Julio's confession.

"Thank you Julio."

Julio walks away.

Just as Julio gets an earshot away, the other figure comes out.

"Not so fast Saito."

'You have got to be kidding me!' Saito inwardly vents.

He turns around.

"Hello Agnes."

"What the hell do you think you are doing? I had seen you walking around while I was making sure everyone was getting on the ships safely. So I followed you, and I find out that you are going to go out there on a suicide mission." Agnes scolds him.

"First off, why aren't you with Henrietta?"

"Julia is watching her in my place. Henrietta wanted me to make sure everyone got on board. You need to come on. She would be upset if she knew what you were planning."

"I have to make sure that everyone gets away safely. I will protect Henrietta and everyone else."

"We will be fine. Now come on Saito."

"No!"

"What?" Agnes retorts.

"You heard me. You can't guarantee that the ships will get away in time. I will stall the army."

"Damnit Saito! You are so stubborn."

'Takes one to know one.' He thinks.

"Fine. Then I will go with you. I can't let you do this alone."

"Wait! What?"

"Two is better than one." She says.

"But Henrietta needs you."

"And she needs you too Saito."

Saito lets out a stressful growl.

'How the hell am I going to get her to go back to the ships?'

Then it dawns on him.

'The potion that Siesta gave me.' Saito thinks as he remembers.

"Okay. Fine. Let's go. But first, let me give you something that I was planning on leaving you."

"You were going to leave me something?"

"Yes." He says as he starts walking.

He makes his way between a couple of buildings.

"Okay. Now turn around a sec while I get it out. Make sure no one comes down this way." He says to her.

"No tricks Saito."

He holds up his hands.

"I promise. No tricks."

'Man is she going to be mad at me. I hope this plan works. I can't think of any other way for her to take it.'

She turns around and peers around the building to make sure no one is coming.

He pulls the bottle out and dumps it into his mouth. He carefully makes sure not to swallow any.

He walks over to her and taps her on the shoulder.

She turns around and gets startled with how close he is to her.

He takes advantage of the moment and kisses her deeply and embraces her.

At first, she struggles, but then her pent up emotions succumb to the moment and she accepts his kiss.

'I guess she liked me after all.'

She ends up swallowing down some of the potion.

She notices that something was odd when she swallowed and brakes away. She starts to spit out the rest.

Saito also spits out what was in his mouth.

'Did it work?' Saito wonders.

"What the hell was that Saito?" Agnes yells out.

"A sleeping potion." He simply says.

"Damnit Saito. Why? You promised"

She starts to get dizzy and grabs her head.

"I am sorry Agnes."

She starts to stumble around. Saito grabs her just as she is about to fall. He sits down on the ground while holding her.

"I already told you that I am going to make sure that EVERYONE gets out safely. That included you."

Her eyes start to close. She tries to fight what is coming, but her struggle is futile.

"I don't know exactly how you feel about me, but I love you Agnes. I am not going to let you go on a suicide mission with me."

She manages to weakly slam her fist on his chest a couple of times.

"Not Fair." Agnes says as she passes out.

"I am sorry Agnes."

Sylphid peers around the corner to see what is going on and sees Agnes in his arms.

She walks over and looks concerned.

"She passed out Sylphid. Take her onto the ship to get medical attention."

Sylphid nods, and Saito puts Agnes on top of her.

"Okay, now get going."

Sylphid was about to take off, but then stops and motions to him with her head.

"No Sylphid. I am not going. I am staying here to take on the Army. You need to get to the ship not just for Agnes, but to be with Tabitha. Keep her safe."

He walks over to her and touches the side of her head.

"Thank you for everything you have done for me Sylphid. Tell Tabitha how much I loved her and the others when you turn back into your human form."

A single tear falls down the blue scales on her face.

She flies off.

"Are you sure about this Saito?" Derflinger asks.

"There is no turning back now Derf."

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Some time later, after the last air ship had taken off, Siesta roams the deck with her cousin and uncle.

'Where is Saito?'

She finds Julio on the deck.

"Julio, have you seen Saito?" Siesta asks in a very concerned tone.

Julio was about to say something, but muffled noises come from behind him.

Siesta gets a puzzled look on her face and peers around Julio. Louise was behind him tied up gagged.

"What in the world?"

Julio was about to say something again, but Agnes bursts out from a door just as he was about to speak.

"Damnit Saito! Damnit Saito. How could you?" Agnes starts yelling out as she is trying to fight off two of the musketeers that were desperately trying to hold her back.

Julio looks shocked by Agnes' outburst but finally manages to speak out.

"Saito is down there. He decided to take on the Army of 70,000 by himself so that everyone could escape." Julio says.

"That damn Saito slipped me a sleeping potion so I wouldn't go out there and fight with him!" Agnes angrily shouts out.

Siesta turns white. She realized that he must have used that sleeping potion on Agnes. The realization of what is going on also swept her

"But that potion was meant for . . him . . .to . . . " Siesta whispers as she passes out.

Jessica and Scarron catch her.

"Let go of me!" Agnes yells out and shakes off both of the musketeers that were holding her back.

"But you can't captain?" One of the musketeers says to try to reason with Agnes.

Agnes rushes up to the edge of the deck of the air ship and peers over. She sees the water way down beneath them.

"I can make it! I have to go out there and help him!" Agnes yells out.

Agnes props a foot up and looks like she is about to jump over despite how high up they are..

"Sylphid! Pounce!" Tabitha yells out.

Sylphid jumps, pulls Agnes away from the edge, and sets a foot on Agnes' back to keep her from getting up.

"He shouldn't be out there fighting alone." Agnes says while she struggles to get out from under Sylphid's foot.

Tabitha knees next to her.

"Don't let what he is doing for everyone be in vain." Tabitha says as tears stream down her face.

One of the musketeers rushes back into the ship.

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Henrietta had heard of Agnes being brought onto the ship unconscious, and she was going to check on her. Cardinal Mazarin, one of her advisors, had stopped her though. He had a long talk with her about everything that happened and was advising her as to what actions she should take next. It eventually came out that he had asked Louise to be the rear guard.

Henrietta starts rushing towards the door.

"How could you? Turn the ship around! I would never want someone to do that!" Henrietta starts shouting out as the cardinal tries to hold her back.

She never would have asked that of Louise, and she wouldn't have wanted that from her childhood friend. The fact that she also did not know about this until it was too late also overwhelmed her.

Mazarin lets go of her and kneels on the ground.

"Please my queen. I beg of you. Do not let her efforts be in vain. If you go back, then you will surely die. Your country needs you." Mazarin pleads.

Henrietta stops in her tracks.

Julia barges in, along with the musketeer that rushed down from the deck, and updated the queen.

"Oh my god! Saito! No!" Henrietta shouts out.

She falls to her knees.

The sheer shock of everything finally got to her.

She knelt there unable to speak or move.

Her mind spun around in circles.

She was struggling to deal with the idea that Louise was going out there to make sure she got out safe, but knowing that the love of her life went out there instead exasperated her already taxed mind.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 19 of my story.

Next comes the battle.


	20. Chapter 20: The Battle Of 70,000

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

This chapter corresponds with season 2 episode 12 of the anime.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty

The Battle Of 70,000

Saito approaches a hill after fighting off an advance group of soldiers.

Kneeling down, he peers over the hill to see the advancing army.

He can see tons of torch lights and the thousands of men and monsters pouring through a narrow mountain path.

'So the mind control is even affecting the goblins and orcs in the area.'

It appears to Saito that almost a thousand has poured out from the mountain pass so far. They were spread out kind of thin. It looked as if the army was slowly regrouping itself as it comes out of the mountain pass.

He rolls over.

"This is crazy." Saito says aloud.

"I can't argue that with you brother." Derflinger says.

Saito pulls Derf out and sticks him into the ground with the hilt up.

He kneels in front of Derf.

"I still can't believe that I am going to do this Derf."

"People do crazy things for the people they love."

"I am probably going to die out here, aren't I?" He asks Derflinger.

"Probably. The odds of your surviving are insurmountable."

He lets out a sigh.

"You know Derf. When I was in my world, I didn't amount to anything. I wasn't any kind of genius. I wasn't any kind of warrior or a big shot of some kind of business. I was a nobody. I didn't even have a girlfriend. Then I got sucked into this world. I was given powers beyond my wildest dreams and I learned how to fight. Now I have many people in my life that I love and care about. I have a country behind me that I have now called home in desperate need of help, and an army in front of me coming to destroy all of that."

He starts to rise up to his feet.

"Well. . . In a world where I don't belong. . . "

He pulls Derf out of the ground.

"I am going to use everything that this world has given to me for not only Tristan, but for the ones that I love."

He holds Derflinger right in front of his face.

"I am going to try to protect and save everyone with everything I've got."

"Let's do this then partner."

Saito glances over the hill one more time.

'Are you sure that there is no way to restore these people Serena?'

'Not that many at one time. Unless you can get the ring, or make them run away and deal with them another time. It would be a different story if they weren't trying to kill you.' Serena responds back.

'Damn it! Isn't there something I can do? I don't want to kill all of these people.'

He takes another hard look.

"Maybe I can use that mountain pass to my advantage."

He stands up on top of the hill.

"Here we go."

He starts jogging towards the army.

'It's time to start using everything Agnes taught me that one day in training about fighting against uneven odds.'

Boulders from catapults start to slam the grounds around him.

Cannon fire can be heard in the background and then explosions occur around him. He has a couple of close calls, but none of them actually hit him luckily except for some dirt particles.

As he gets a little closer he finds that he is now under the attack of some fireballs.

He stops jogging to take a full defensive stance with Derflinger against one of the fireballs. Derflinger soaks up the fireball, and Saito starts up again.

'I have to keep moving like Agnes said.'

He fires off a couple fireballs himself towards the army.

Whistling can be heard in the air and the sky gets dark.

"Oh shit! Arrows!"

Saito points his sword at the ground.

"Earth, robust mother, answer my wishes and become a moving wall."

He rushes towards the wall of earth that emerges from the ground in front of him.

A few arrows skim his cheek, shoulder, and ribs just before he reaches its safety.

Blood starts dripping from the wounds.

'Remember to stay calm.' Saito thinks to himself.

"So. They want to rain on my parade. Well I will just have to rain on theirs."

'I can go all out with everyone gone.'

Saito raises his hand to the sky, and his eyes become dark blue.

"Serena! Great water spirit. Send forth never-ending storm clouds so that we may rain down on our enemies. Unyielding rain storm!"

The skies roar with anger.

Everyone in the army looks up to the sky as storm clouds come in from out of nowhere. The sky becomes full with clouds from end to end in a matter of seconds.

Rain starts to drizzle down from the clouds.

"More."

The rain starts to come down harder.

"More."

The heavy rain turns into a downpour.

Saito grits his teeth from the power being drawn from him.

"More!"

Rain pours down with such ferocity that even hurricanes can't compare to the amount of water coming down.

Men and monsters alike shield their eyes just to barely be able to see.

Saito seems unaffected by the rain as water flows down a light blue hue being emitted from his body.

Lightning starts striking down at various parts of the army.

"Now is my chance."

Squishing sounds could be heard as he runs down the center towards the mountain pass from all of the water that has already come down.

A couple warriors attempt to stand in his way. One of them lunges through the pouring rain at him, but he sidesteps, turns, and shoves his sword through the man's back.

"Expect the unexpected." Saito says to him.

He pulls Derf out, and slices the other soldier's leg after tumbling toward him.

'Gotta keep moving. I have to reach the mountain pass.'

"In ex bet flame. Fireball!"

His fireball clears a part of the path.

A mage raises his staff and starts to chant a spell.

"I don't think so."

Saito slices at the mage's staff and cleaves right through into a goblins stomach.

Saito keeps pushing right down the center.

"Icy wind!"

Mixed with the rain that is pouring down, the spell goes off with quadruple the amount of shards that is usually has.

Screams are heard from the men impaled by the shards.

Another goblin attempts jump and attack Saito only to be impaled by Derflinger.

"Gust of wind!"

The impaled goblin flies off of Derflinger and slams into another group of men.

'Use an attack as a defense.'

A group of mages start combining their spells.

Saito, again, slices at their staffs. This time he swings his sword around a second time and slices into them.

He notices the gap behind him starting to fill in.

The rain is still causing confusion and poor vision.

Some of the mages outside of the battle start casting protection spells, and spells to try and ward off the rain.

A warrior drops his sword to try to grapple him, but he cuts one of the man's hands off.

Using levitation, he lifts up one of the fallen and throws him at another group of men.

A lightning bolt comes towards Saito, but gets absorbed by Derflinger.

"Let me return the favor."

Another man accidently jumps right in Saito's path as he thrusts his sword forward. The man gets a shocked look on his face as he feels Derflinger passing through him.

"Lightning. Release your shocking force and branch out. Chain Lightning!"

Lighting not only shoots out from Derflinger, but it arcs out and hits many of his enemies.

The man that was impaled became completely fried and burnt to a crisp.

He pulls Derf out of the burnt corpse.

He runs forward and makes it through to the mountain pass.

He grips Derflinger with both hands.

"Tornado of wind and water!" he calls out as he casts the spell that Henrietta and prince Wales used against him when they combined their magic.

A tornado shoots from Derflinger and blows back the army pouring in through the mountain pass.

He turns back towards the part of the army behind him and makes a sweeping motion with Derf.

"Wall of Ice."

'Thanks again Henrietta.'

A semicircular wall of spiked ice forms between him and the part of the army that got through the pass.

He turns around again to face the main army.

He grabs the wrist of the hand holding Derflinger.

"Let's close the gap."

He points at the upper parts of the pass and fires.

"Explosion!"

Rocks start tumbling down.

"Explosion! Explosion! Explosion!" He yells out as he fires 3 more times.

The rocks start to form a blockade in the mountain pass.

"Earth, robust mother, answer my wishes and become a moving wall."

He fully close off the mountain pass with the wall.

The torrential rain water already starts to fill in the pass.

Water, mud, and debris sliding down the sides of the mountains also start filling in the pass.

A satisfied smirk comes across his face as he hears the cries and yells from the men on the other side of the wall.

"May the waters rise up. . ."

Water starts to shoot up from the ground in the form of 8 columns of water as thick as a coffee cup.

"To form a barrier around me, and lash out at my enemies."

The columns of water swirl around him, waving back and forth.

"Dancing streams!"

'Now that I have a little more protection, let's bring in some reinforcements.'

The Ice wall has gotten gaps in it from mages using fire spells on it and warriors hacking at it.

His eyes glow dark blue again as he holds out his arms.

"Serena! Great water spirit. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

Water rises up from the ground in many spots around him.

First, 3 human size water elementals form from the water around him. Then, 6 more larger ones form that are about 10 feet tall. A few seconds later, 4 more form that are even larger than the previous ones. One great, big water elemental forms that is about 20 feet tall.

'I apologize to you ahead of time if I do not survive this fight Serena.'

'I would be very sad to lose someone like you my avatar.' Serena says in response.

He looks at 2 of the human sized elementals and 2 of the larger ones.

"You 4, go over the wall and take on the enemies there. All of you, only attack the enemies that stay and fight. Do not bother with any enemies that flee."

The water elementals begin to disperse and do as they were told.

He climbs up the wall of the mountain pass and sees the enemy being washed back down the pass.

"I hope that they can fight the mind control after they recover from being washed away."

Some of them are trying climb up the wall and the sides of the mountain.

"May the waters around me be used as weapons to shoot down my enemies. Water cannon!"

Water spins around to form multiple balls surrounding him.

'Thank you Eleonore.'

He aims his free hand at the ones that are trying to climb up. He then proceeds to shoot them down with jets of water.

'These spells are really starting to drain me. I can feel the veins treading further and further.'

The elementals that were down there were attacking other enemies that were trying to stay and attack.

A warrior who was barely standing tries to swing his hammer at the human sized elemental. The elemental deforms and slips into the water, and then it reforms behind the man and slams him from behind with a fist in the shape of a hammer.

A fireball hits and evaporates one of Saito's dancing streams.

He turns his head only to see the 20 foot elemental pick up the mage and throws him to the ground.

Saito jumps down and starts his assaults again.

"I need to protect everyone."

He rushes towards another group that had goblins and warriors in it.

'Use a defense as an attack.'

He uses his dancing streams as an attack against them.

An orc charges in and slams him with its club, knocking him onto the ground.

He quickly staggers up to try to defend himself from the orc.

"Damn!" he says while clutching his side.

The orc tries to swing again at Saito except he dodges this time.

He makes several attacks that slice at the orc and make it fall to one knee.

The orc yells out in pain but it still starts to get back up.

Saito jabs Derflinger into its side.

It yells out in pain again.

"Flame!" He yells out with Derf still inside of it.

Just as he was calling out the spell, he hears the sound of a sword being slowly unsheathed behind him.

He rips Derf out and blindly swings behind him while he shoves his free hand into the same wound that he just ripped Derf out of.

Screams are heard behind him as a man drops his sword and clutches his eyes from being burned by the flames that were emitted from Derflinger.

"Flame!" He angrily screams out at the orc.

Flames shoot from Saito's hand while it is still in the orc.

It yells out again but it still tries to fight back.

Saito shoves his hand even deeper into the wound.

"Cen jera tyr gyfu!"

Blue flames shoot from Saito hand from inside of the wound. Blue flames can be seen from all of the cuts that he made. The orc stops moving as its flesh becomes a burnt color and smoke comes out of its mouth.

'Thank you Colbert.'

He pulls his hand out.

'Keep moving.'

Saito moves on to another group.

As he runs he notices that he has become surrounded by a group of enemy knights.

"Alright Derflinger. Let's use your ability that you taught me how to use."

Saito holds Derflinger to his side with the tip touching the ground.

He makes a cut along the ground in a semicircle.

Derflinger glows and a surge of wind emits with Saito as the epicenter. The wind blows over most of the men around him. He attacks the ones left standing with a flurry of sword strikes.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees one of them about to throw a spear at him.

'Use the enemy as a shield.'

He grabs the man that he is currently in melee with by the throat and turns with him just in time for the spear to pierce the man he is holding. He gets a cut on his arm from the spear.

"Keep moving." He says while breathing heavily.

A couple of the Elementals disappear by attacks from the enemy.

A mage gets smacked between the largest elemental's hands.

A couple other mages start to bombard it with fire spells.

One of the large elementals drowns an enemy after enveloping him inside of it.

Saito goes for another group.

He runs towards an enemy making a forward slash towards him. He sidesteps, and grabs the guy from behind by his head and pulls him backwards to the ground.

He sees a mage starting to cast a spell in the distance and charges towards him. The mage starts stuttering his words from nervousness as Saito looks like a raging bull coming toward him.

"An sur ver ang. Silence!" Saito yells out in his charge.

The mage is moving his lips except nothing comes out. He becomes frantic as he looks around for help.

Saito shoves his sword through him.

He pulls his sword out just to slice at a goblin.

He starts to swing his sword around as if he was running on nothing but his instincts. Swinging his sword in one direction and launching spells in the other. He has become a mess of blood and mud.

Just as he was about to make a downward cut onto another enemy's head, the man yells out.

"Please stop! This isn't worth it. My family isn't worth it!"

He takes a good look into the man's eyes and sees that they aren't red.

'Don't lose your humanity.'

"I am just doing this to feed my family. I joined on my own free will." The man quickly says to Saito.

"Then get the hell out of here and don't let me see you again or I will make sure you don't live long enough to regret that mistake."

"Behind you!" The man yells out to Saito.

"Flame!" Saito yells out as he turns to roast a couple goblins.

He looks over his shoulder to see the man fleeing for his life.

His cape falls to the ground after unhooking it.

Golem knights start appearing as he summons them like Guiche does.

'They aren't as good as my water elementals, but they will have to do.'

He goes in for another assault.

The last of the water elementals finally falls after some time goes by. A group attack from mages took the 20 foot elemental down.

Saito stands in the center of an army of only 300.

Three separate groups simultaneously attack Saito on 3 fronts.

He faces one of the groups charging him, and raises a wall. Then he turns to another group.

His eyes glow dark blue.

"May water rise from the ground and impale my enemies. Ice spikes!"

Icy spikes impale the group as screams and shouts of pain are heard.

"In ex bet flame. Fireball!"

A fireball takes out a good portion of the third group, but a couple of them managed to dodge and continue their attack on him. They try to attack him on two fronts but he blocks one attack with Derflinger and kicks the other away. The first attacker goes in for a strike to the side. Saito turns toward the strike and blocks with Derflinger again and continues with the turn and elbows the guy in the face.

He breaks away to attack the one that fell, and shoves Derfliinger through him for the final blow.

"Nled less har. Whirlwind!"

A whirlwind blast blows the other combatant out of the arena that the army formed around him.

The first group comes out from behind the wall. One of them has an extremely large shield.

He quickly points Derflinger at the muddy ground.

"Del wil sol la winde."

A pulse of wind shoots out from Derf and splatters mud all over the group.

"Mud turn to oil. Alchemy"

The mud on the men turns to oil.

He raises Derf and points at the group.

"Flame!"

Fire envelops and burns most of the men.

The shield user stands from behind his shield.

Panting extremely heavily, he looks like he could pass out, but sheer will is keeping him up.

The shield user rushes him. He watches for the sword movement but he gets bashed from the shield and knocked to the ground.

He rolls out of the way just before the shield nearly gets used to crush his head and gets back to his feet.

The Shield warrior rushes in again. This time, he watches for the shield strike and gets a pretty bad cut on his back by his sword instead. He rushes back to try to regroup himself.

He spits out some blood.

'How the hell am I going to get this guy?'

He tries to think of all of his past battles in that brief moment and remembers the fight with Menneville.

Steadying himself, he readies for a charge.

The shield user sees this and plants his shield into the ground. He also readies his sword to strike.

He charges full force towards the shield user. Just before the tip of Derflinger is about to strike the shield, a flame shoots out from him and starts melting the shield dead center. Derflinger goes through the hole and stabs into the shield user.

They both fall over.

He pulls Derflinger out and rolls over onto his back.

The rain slows down and stops. The clouds start to disperse.

The blue veins from his runes have reached the top of his neck. He lays there tired, bleeding, and in pain. He is also panting and sweating terribly.

Mages start to destroy his wall.

'I guess I couldn't quite make it after all. I wish I could have spent the rest of my life with all of you. Tabitha. Henrietta. Siesta. Agnes. I love all of you.'

"I'm sorry everyone. At least I have one last trick under my sleeve to try and win this."

"Saito." Derf says.

"I don't want to die."

He raises his free hand in the air.

The veins from his runes instantly spread past his ears and up to his eyes.

He starts reciting the void spell that Louise used to defeat Wardes and his dragon knights.

What is left of the enemy army takes aim at Saito with spells and arrows.

The blue light from the veins start bleeding from his eyes.

"Saitoooooooo!" Derflinger yells out.

The enemy launches their attack.

A white light erupts from Saito's hand and envelops the entire area.

At the same time, a light blue light also erupts from Saito because of his runes. A destructive wave spreads out across the ground like a ripple. The ripple destroys everything within a 75 foot radius of him.

The enemy's attack destroys his location.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 20 of my story.

I truly do thank you. It has been amazing to see so many people following my story. It has also been great to read all of the wonderful reviews. I never thought it was going to be the 20 chapters I have written so far and over 70,000 words (how ironic that the battle of 70,000 led me to 70,000 words).

What is going to happen next? How are all of his love interests going to handle what happened? Keep reading and you will find out.

I have also started writing another fanfiction. It is going to be a short story. It is for the anime Kenichi the mightiest disciple. It is called Kenichi: Not Just Her Dsiciple. Please read. I am planning on updating it only about once a month, and don't worry. I don't plan on taking away from this story. Thank you again.


	21. Chapter 21: Agnes' Desperate Search

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-one

Agnes' Desperate Search

A roar is heard, and then a jolt of the air ship knocks Henrietta out of her shock and onto the floor.

"What was that? An attack?" Henrietta calls out.

Another is felt.

"Musketeers, let's go."

"Yes your highness." Julia says to Henrietta.

They all rush up to the deck of the ship. Cardinal Mazarin also follows.

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A Rush of clouds roars around the ship and causes the ship jolt from its turbulence.

Sylphid removes her foot from Agnes and Agnes gets up.

Siesta also gets stirred awake from the jolt.

Everyone looks about as the clouds rush past the ship and towards the path between the port city and South Gotha.

Another jolt is felt.

Ship-mates and mages start running about trying to stabilize the ship.

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After another jolt, Henrietta and the two musketeers make it to the deck.

Henrietta sees Agnes and rushes to her.

"What is going on? Are we under attack?" Henrietta asks Agnes.

Agnes points to where the clouds are going to.

After a moment, rain could be seen coming down from the clouds. At first it was faint, but then it became quite clear that it was raining. Henrietta saw what looked like a wall of rain coming down from the clouds.

'So much rain. Even at this distance it can be seen.' Henrietta thinks to herself.

Lightning can be seen striking the ground.

"Is that the army's doing?" Henrietta asks.

"No it is not your majesty. It's Saito's" Tabitha says from behind the group.

Henrietta quickly turns her head, and looks at Tabitha in shock.

"Where did he learn that? I don't think I even know of anybody that can cast a spell like that." Henrietta says to Tabitha.

"He made a contract with the water spirit at Lagdorian Lake. He became the avatar of water." Tabitha says in response.

"Somebody get me a spyglass!" Agnes calls out.

One of the musketeers brings her one after a few moments.

She looks through it to view the battle.

"What in the world!"

Agnes couldn't see much, but she was able to see some flashes and then part of the mountain tops collapse. She then relays this to the others.

Henrietta looks around.

"May we talk in private?" Henrietta says to Tabitha.

Tabitha nods.

"Julia, make sure the ship keeps its course. We need to make sure the civilians get to safety." Henrietta gives her orders.

'It's times like this that I wish I didn't have the worries of the country on me. I would have gone to him.' Henrietta thinks to herself.

Tabitha and Henrietta head back inside of the ship with Agnes trailing behind.

'What in the world has Saito been up to.' Agnes wonders.

Agnes gives the storm one more look before she heads into the ship.

'Don't die on me Saito.' Agnes thinks.

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Agnes stands outside of the room that Tabitha and Henrietta are in and intently listened in while trying to keep guard.

Tabitha had just gotten through explaining to Henrietta everything that Saito had been doing and why.

Agnes holds her hand to her chest.

'I can't believe you did all of that Saito. Why have you kept me on your mind too? I rejected you.' Agnes thinks as she listens to their conversation.

"And you just let him do this?" Henrietta asks Tabitha with growing anger in her voice.

"Yes."

"Why? Why would you let him? Aren't you in love with him too?" Henrietta says in a raised voice and tears practically ready to pour from her eyes.

"How dare you question my love for him. I love him dearly. He made me promise. I hate him for making me promise. You aren't the only one hurting Henrietta!" Tabitha retorts back with.

Henrietta could hear the sadness in Tabitha's voice. She also felt Tabitha's bitterness towards Saito having her make that promise.

"I am sorry Tabitha. I took my anger and frustration out on you. I wish I didn't have to worry about all of these civilians. I would have turned the ships around and gone back for Saito."

Tabitha shakes her head.

"Your apology is accepted Henrietta. We are both upset right now."

"You seem so calm right now though."

"I might not look it, but I am also torn apart inside. Saito is fighting that battle so that we would all be safe. There was no stopping him. He went to great lengths to make sure that you, I, Siesta, and Agnes were all safe. Everyone that survived the attack in South Gotha, including Albion civilians, has managed to flee safely." Tabitha says to Henrietta.

Tabitha looks down in sadness.

Henrietta rushes over and embraces Tabitha in a hug.

"I promise that we will head back there, and search for Saito once we drop off the civilians and regroup." Henrietta says as she tries to comfort Tabitha.

"Thank . . .you." Tabitha manages to croak out as tears start to stream down her face.

Henrietta starts to also cry after noticing Tabitha's crying.

They stay in the embrace.

Agnes leans against the wall. She feels heavy all of a sudden as she deals with her own flood of emotions.

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Siesta is barely holding herself up by the railings of the ship. Her head is hanging low.

Jessica slowly approaches her.

She sees tears falling on the railings from her cousin's face.

She tries to grab Siesta reassuringly and siesta just curls up into her as she continues to cry.

"Why? Why Saito? Why couldn't you have fled on the ship with us? Please come back. Please tell him to come back Jessica."

Jessica looks over to Scarron despairingly. Tears also start to well up in her eyes over seeing her cousin like this.

Scarron walks over and embraces them both.

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After making sure that Henrietta's orders were given, Julia tries to make rounds on the deck.

She felt the tension from the other musketeers as she checked in with each of them. Word had spread through the team about what Saito was doing.

They didn't have to utter a single word to her for her to know that they were also worried.

'Our comrade went out there to fight an army of 70,000 to make sure we got away safe. He isn't even part of the army.'

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Agnes stands in front of a group that consisted of a dozen of her Musketeers.

"Alright everyone. Listen closely because we have very little time to prepare. I have been given instructions by her majesty to search for Saito once the port city Rosynth is retaken. I have no idea how long the search will take and what kinds of dangers may be faced. I was told that I can take two others with me on my search. I stand before you twelve because you have had the most interaction with him. I am asking for two volunteers." Agnes says in a very serious tone.

Two of the musketeers instantly look at each other, nod, and then step forward.

Agnes gets a small smile from how quick she got volunteers.

"And why did you two volunteer so quickly." Agnes asks.

"He did a lot for us when Menneville attacked the academy. He not only pulled us to safety, but then he healed us and guarded us. He did it selflessly and without any hesitation. This is the least we can do for him."

"Thank you. Once Rosynth is secured, then we will head out."

The two musketeers nod.

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Agnes and the musketeers make their way out of Rosynth.

It is somewhat cloudy, but there is still plenty of light to be able to see.

'It was shocking how easily we were able to take the port city back over. Was that because of what Saito did? Did he actually stop the whole army of 70,000?'

Their feet start making squishing noises.

"Based upon what I remember seeing from the ship, the battlefield should be close by. Everything we passed before must have been an advance group."

They approach a hill.

'What happened Saito?'

They get to the top of the hill and they see the battlefield in the distance.

One of the musketeers takes a big gulp.

"Is this for real?" She asks aloud.

"Are the two of you ready for this?" Agnes asks.

'For that matter, am I ready for this?' She then thinks to herself.

"Is there even a choice?"

"No." Agnes says in response.

She starts walking forward.

"I want to split up the search to cover more ground as we get closer. I will take the center and you two will take the sidelines. Be careful out there. We are the only ones out here to back each other up."

They nod.

They pass a number of large boulders imbedded into the ground.

'They must have launched these at him. Saito please be alive."

Agnes walks around a couple areas where fireballs had blown holes in the ground.

They come across a field of arrows and remnants of a wall. The only spot that didn't have any arrows was just behind the wall.

She puts her hand on the wall and imagines Saito hiding behind it.

'I could have been here with you Saito. You didn't have to do this alone.'

She turns her head and looks in the distance.

"Captain, that is a very large field of bodies."

"Is that a wall stretching across the mountain pass? I don't remember that being there before."

Agnes shakes her head.

"No. It wasn't."

She looks at the both of them.

"This is where we split up."

Agnes passes body after body trying to look for Saito.

"Where are you Saito?"

She comes across a body with one of hands chopped off.

"I can't believe you fought off all of these people. I am trying to figure out how this battle went down, but I can't. So much must have happened here."

She finds the guy's hand sticking out of the mud.

"This is insane. How did you do this? What did you learn from that water spirit?"

She finds a semicircle of dead mages. Their staves were cut and so were their stomachs.

"Wasn't there another way you could have done this? Why did you have to risk your life like this?"

She starts thinking about all of the other people that love him, especially Henrietta.

"Everyone is so upset. Henrietta never would have wanted you to risk your life like this."

She pauses a moment and grits her teeth.

"I didn't want this. I didn't want you risk your life like this."

She starts picking up her pace.

'I have to find you Saito.'

She clenches a fist.

"Why? Why Saito? I rejected you and yet you still went out of your way to protect me too. You went so far as to even drug me to keep me out of harm's way."

She ends up by the wall and climbs up it. The land on the other side of the wall was more like a swamp with a heavy layer of soot to go with

'He must have blocked off the pass and used the rain to wash away the enemy. How in the world did he come up with that kind of tactic?'

She jumps back down and continues her search.

"Don't you realize how worried everyone is about you? Don't you realize how worried I am about you?"

She finds an orc that is burnt to a crisp.

"You did all of this just to make sure everyone lived. Damn it Saito! Where are you! You have to be alive. No one that could do all of this should be dead."

She eventually comes across a giant circle of destruction. The ground within the circle seemed to have been up-turned and riddled with almost 3 hundred heavily mutilated bodies. In the dead center of the circle is a large hole in the ground.

Agnes gets a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"This can't be. He can't be."

She extends her arm as if reaching for something.

Fear, worry, and doubt start welling up inside of her.

The other two stand next to her and also stare at the circle.

"Could this be . ." One of them starts to say.

"He has to be alive." Agnes interrupts with a hint of anger in her voice.

"It is getting dark Captain. What should we do?"

"You two make your way back to the city. I am going to search for a little bit longer and then eventually join you."

"But we should. . ."

"That is an order."

"Be safe captain."

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Agnes was heading back to the port city defeated. She couldn't find Saito.

"He has to be alive."

As he walks back, something catches her eye.

She walks over to a bloody cape that is on the ground and picks it up. It seemed different than all of the other ones she had come across.

She starts searching it.

Then she comes across the one thing she feared finding.

She finds the insignia of the academy on it.

"No."

She drops to her knees.

Rain starts to come down, hiding her own tears.

"Damn it Saito. How could you? I tried so hard to fight it. I didn't want to admit it but you got me to love you too. That's right. I love you. I can't hide it anymore."

She starts slamming her fists into the muddy ground.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Why did you have to leave me like that? You left me behind. I can't stand it."

Anger strikes her face as she keeps punching the ground.

"Saito."

*Slam*

"Saito."

*Slam*

"Saito!"

*Slam*

"Saito!"

*Slam*

"Saitoooooooooooooooo!" She screams out into the air.

She rolls over onto the ground clenching the cape.

She eventually passes out

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 **A/N:** Chapter 21 finished. Thanks for reading.

I have also started writing another fanfiction. It is going to be a short story. It is for the anime Kenichi the mightiest disciple. It is called Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple. Please read. I am planning on updating it only about once a month, and don't worry. I don't plan on taking away from this story. Thank you again.


	22. Chapter 22: Agnes' Desperate Search Pt2

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-two

Agnes' Desperate Search

Part 2

At the Academy.

'It is morning and I already have to deal with meetings. I am extremely upset with the Cardinal, but I am trying to put up with him to hear what he has to say. All I really want is to hear a report that Saito is ok.' Henrietta thinks as she listens to the Cardinal babble on.

She lets out a small sigh as she rifles through a couple documents.

'I wish I didn't have to be here, but I didn't feel right just leaving the country with all of these civilians from Albion here. I would feel terrible if something happened and I was away. I would be at the palace, but I feel the academy is better suited for dealing with this.'

*knock, knock, knock*

"Pardon my interruption your majesty, but a messenger is her with a report from our forces from Albion." Julia says from the other side of the door.

"Send him in." Henrietta says anxiously.

Julia opens the door and lets the messenger in.

The young man enters and bows before the queen and offers her an envelope with a seal on it.

She takes the letter and nods to the messenger so that he may stand. She then opens the envelope and reads the document.

"What in the world did he do over there that we had no opposition when our forces went to retake Rosynth?" She mutters under her breath.

She gets to the bottom of the letter and then flips it over as if expecting to see something else. Then she flips it back over to the front and looks it over again.

"Is something wrong your majesty?" The messenger asks.

"Is this all that you were given? Are there no other reports?" Henrietta asks with a slight anxiousness and annoyance in her tone.

The messenger bows again.

"I am sorry your majesty, but this is all that I was given."

Henrietta grits her teeth a little bit.

"Very well. Thank you."

After the messenger leaves, the Cardinal looks over to Henrietta's direction.

"Was there something you were looking for your highness?" Cardinal Mazarin asks.

"I was hoping to hear a report back from Agnes on Saito's whereabouts."

"I don't understand why you are so worried about him. He wasn't a noble. He was just one commoner."

Henrietta snaps her head with such a force that it causes the Cardinal to jump.

That was the final straw for her.

The glare that she gives him chills him to the core. He could swear that he also saw fire in her eyes.

"How dare you Cardinal Mazarin! How dare you undermine him like that? No. He is not a noble. He does not have any money, land, power, or any titles to his name. But this 'one commoner', who was not even a part of the army, took on an army of 70,000. This 'one commoner' made it so that everyone, including you, could get away. He went out there in place of Louise. YOU sent out MY childhood friend to die."

The Cardinal starts sweating.

"If you think that you are so much above this 'one commoner', then I would like to see you take on an army of 70,000 and come out with the same results!"

She shoves the report at him.

"We were able to take back the port city without any resistance or casualties. He must have stopped the whole army for this to have occurred. How dare you judge him based on his status. He is a hero, not 'just one commoner'."

She grips her scepter tightly.

"Julia!"

Julia hurriedly opens the door from Henrietta's tone.

"Yes your highness."

Henrietta points her scepter at the Cardinal.

"Get this man out of my sight. Get him off the academy grounds."

She walks up to him.

"You are not allowed to set one foot near the academy or the palace until tomorrow." Henrietta says in a very serious tone.

His jaw drops in shock.

She starts to turn around, but she stops and turns back to the Cardinal.

"By the way Cardinal Mazarin. I better not hear one word about you talking poorly about Saito." Henrietta says to the Cardinal with a smile.

Julia gives him a sideways glare after she hears what Henrietta said.

'How dare he talk poorly about him.' Julia thinks to herself.

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Agnes wakes up from where she had fallen asleep in the battlefield after a few hours. It stopped raining and clouds had cleared away and the night sky offered a minor amount of light for visibility.

She starts to sit up.

Her eyes were red with bags under them. She was muddy on her knees and down her one side from sleeping on the ground. She was soaked from head to toe and her knuckles were slightly marred from punching the ground.

She was still clutching Saito's cape.

She takes a couple minutes to get her bearings and she takes out some rations. She puts them back away after taking a few bites.

She stares at Saito's cape.

"Everything is pointing to you being dead, but I can't give up on you yet. I just can't. Everyone else here is dead. So you must be alive, right?"

She gets up and starts drudging through the field of corpses again.

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Shortly after daylight hits, Agnes gets startled out of her search when she hears footsteps approaching.

She draws her sword as she turns in the direction of the footsteps.

"Captain! It's ok, it is just us." Aimee says to Agnes.

"Oh. I'm sorry. It is just you two. I was worried it was an enemy soldier." Agnes says to them in defense.

Guinevere and Aimee get a good look at Agnes' condition, and then look at each other.

"Are you ok captain? You never showed back up in the city so we came out here. Were you here all night? Did you sleep at all? You look like you need to sleep." Guinevere says out of concern.

"I am fine. I slept." Agnes says to the two musketeers.

They looked like they were about to say something else.

"We need to continue our search." Agnes says to them.

They notice that she is holding something.

"Is that?" Aimee asks.

"Yes it is, but this doesn't mean he is dead. Got it?"

They take a worried gulp, but Aimee and Guinevere nod in agreement with Agnes.

"Good. Now that we have that out of the way, I think we should try checking the surrounding areas for him. Maybe he strayed away somewhere after the battle."

They look at each other and nod in agreement.

"I will take the right side, and you two can take the left. We will meet back up just before dusk by the wall unless we find something sooner."

Just before they part ways Guinevere pauses a moment.

"Did you want us to carry that for a while for you Captain? So that you aren't burdened with carrying it the whole time." Guinevere asks.

Agnes stops and gives her a sideways glance.

"No. It will be fine. I am not burdened with it." Agnes says while gripping the cape tightly as if it were something precious of hers.

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Agnes leans against a tree shortly after the search led her into a forest.

She takes a small drink of water.

"Where are you Saito? I can't find any clues to your whereabouts. Everything is leading me to you being dead, but you can't be. I told you that you weren't allowed to die on me."

She starts thinking about everything that they have gone through up to this point.

"All of the training we did together. You and I trained. Then you got your new runes, and we still trained together. You became so good that I even had you help me train my musketeers."

She gets off of the tree and continues her search.

"You were always there, even when I was on my quest for revenge."

She peers around some trees.

"Then you had to go and save me from myself during that quest. Every time I tried to push you away, you did something to pull me back in."

She gets an annoyed, buy happy look on her face.

"You are so stubborn. You never know when to give up. I could tell you felt something for me but I kept pushing you away. I didn't want to get in the way of your relationship with Henrietta even while I knew that there are others in your life."

She gets a light blush on her cheeks.

"I wish I could be in your arms again."

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Aimee and Guinevere make their trek along the outer perimeter of the battlefield.

"Can you believe all of this?" Guinevere asks Aimee.

"I am still stunned over all of this. I almost threw up when I first saw all of the dead bodies."

"One man against 70,000."

"I was expecting to still have to face that army when we came back."

"But he took them out."

"What scares me is that he wasn't even part of the army."

"You're right. I know he had some training with both Agnes and Eleonore, but what he did was beyond the scope of reason."

"It wasn't all that long ago he wasn't even able to cast magic."

"Because he was with Louise."

"I am very glad that he isn't with her."

"No kidding. I think everyone would be very different around here if things were still the other way."

"Every one of us has been affected by him between Menneville's attack and all of the training that he has done with us."

"Agnes has especially affected by him." Guinevere says.

Aimee nods in agreement.

"Her mood lightens when he is around." Aimee says to Guinevere.

"Watching those two spar is amazing and scary at the same time."

"The captain is not taking this well she is exhausting herself trying to find him."

"Do you think she just slept on the ground out here?"

"I am not going to make the mistake of trying to find out."

They come across another dead body. It looks like he managed to crawl away, but he still died from his wounds.

They look at each other.

"Remind me to never get in his way." Guinevere says as she looks at the body

"I am glad he is on our side." Aimee says as she takes another look at the battlefield.

"I know this sounds silly, but we should do something for him."

"I don't think that sounds like a bad idea. I just hope we can find him."

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Just before dusk, Agnes slowly makes her way back to the place where she told everyone to meet up at. She has a glum and annoyed look on her face.

As she gets close to the battlefield, she sees a man walking around the field of bodies and looking at them. He had on the garments of an Albion warrior.

First, she glances around to see any more of them, and she doesn't see any.

'Was he one of the ones that attacked Saito?'

She quickly rushes towards the soldier and draws her sword.

"Halt! Stop where you are and don't move. I am Agnes De Milan. I am captain of the queen's musketeer squadron from Tristan.

Aimee and Guinevere come up from the flank to back her up.

If you value your life, then you won't make any sudden movements.

The warrior stops dead in his tracks and slowly raises his hands to show that he is not holding any weapons.

"Please do not attack me. I am Auden. I am just here searching for anyone I may know among the dead." He says to the trio.

"Slowly turn around." Agnes demands.

He slowly turns around. He is a man with dirty blond hair and looks like he is about 30. He is wearing the cape of an Albion warrior but he is not wearing his armor. He does have his sword at his side.

Aimee takes his sword.

The man takes a good glance at Agnes' stance.

"Did you train with the man that was out here a couple days ago?" The man asks.

Agnes drops the cape.

She rushes over to him, grabs him by the collar and pulls him towards her.

"Do you know where he is?" Agnes asks as she points her sword at his head.

"Please put me down and let me explain." He says through a worried look on his face.

"No. I will not. You will explain now or you will feel the edge of my sword." Agnes says angrily.

"He's dead! He's dead!" He shouts quickly out of fear.

Agnes gets a shocked look on her face as she starts to loosen her grip and back up.

The other also gets a shocked look on their faces from his statement.

"He can't be. You're lying." Agnes says in denial.

"I watched him die." Auden says to them.

After realizing how bad what he just said sounded, he raises his hands in a defensive manner.

"You what!" Agnes shouts as she raises her sword again.

Guinevere grabs her shoulder.

"Let's hear him out Agnes." Guinevere says to Agnes.

Agnes does not let up her stance.

"Talk." She sternly says to him.

"I suggest that you choose your words wisely. We are all his comrades, but she trained him personally." Aimee says to him.

"Then I am truly sorry." He says to them as he gives a slight bow toward them.

Agnes gets a puzzled look on her face.

"Please. Let's calm down and let me tell you my story. Standing like this is starting to get a little uncomfortable." He tries to say to them.

"Sit." Agnes simply says to him.

He does.

Agnes lets up on her stance.

"First, please tell me the name of this man." He asks.

"Saito De Hiraga." Agnes says back to him.

"Saito spared my life on the battlefield. I think that I am the only one that was on the front lines that he did. I don't know why he did it, but he did."

Aimee and Guinevere look to each other and then back to him.

"I was part of the army that was coming to attack yours. I was along the front lines. I joined the army willingly so that my family would survive. It is the only thing I can do to put food on the table. Almost everyone else was under some kind of mind control."

He gets a depressed look on my face.

"I am still disgusted with the whole situation and how I followed along. He has completely changed me."

Even though she is startled by his confession, Agnes decides not to let him get completely off of topic.

"Continue with what happened." Agnes says to him.

"The army was slowly regrouping as it was clearing the mountain pass. Then we saw one man start to approach. It was kind of laughable at the time. I figured that there was no way that a single man could take on an army of 70,000. We threw boulders, fireballs and arrows at him. None of that completely stopped him. The arrows only barely slowed him down. That was when he started to unleash his onslaught. He caused a storm that I have never seen anyone else create before."

'How in the world did he do that?' The trio of musketeers thinks to themselves.

"Then he came barreling down the center of our army during the chaos of the storm, leaving a trail of dead in his wake. I could swear that he cast some spells that were as powerful as royalty's. He closed off the whole mountain pass by exploding part of the mountain tops and creating a wall. I don't know how he came up with that idea, but he must have done it in conjunction with the rain to wash away the rest of the army because I don't remember anyone coming back over that wall."

'He also cut down the number of enemies he had to face that way. That was brilliant.' Agnes thought to herself.

She picks Saito's cape back up.

"Then he summoned over a dozen water elementals, but they weren't summoned like mages usually summon them. Then the carnage was really unleashed. Saito and those elementals wreaked havoc on the army. This was when I truly realized how much of a threat this one man truly was. Saito was scarier than those elementals were. He was even scarier than that 20 foot one that he created. He fought like a demon. No. Even calling him a demon is nice."

Guinevere's eyes go wide.

'Saito was worse than a demon?' Guinevere thinks.

"If you don't believe me, then take another look around. This is not the work of any normal man."

He motions to the sea of dead around them.

"It was as if he was death incarnate. Wherever he went, the dead followed. And he didn't stop for one second. He kept moving like a raging river. I thought for sure I was a goner. I thought that there was no way that I was going to survive that night. He came at me with complete intent to kill me. That was when I yelled out and he had actually stopped. I saw the look in his eyes as he told me to leave and not come back. They weren't the eyes of someone in a blind rage. They weren't the eyes of someone that enjoyed killing. They weren't the eyes of somebody doing it out of obligation or duty. No. They were the eyes of someone that had something to lose, something to protect, or should I say, someone to protect."

Agnes' heart skips a beat.

"I retreated to the forest over there. I felt compelled to watch even though the scene was terrifying. He eventually cut down the army to a few hundred. They had him surrounded. He mopped the floor with three more groups that attacked him. He finally collapsed over as he killed the last man from the three groups. He stabbed a shield user right through his shield. The army launched an attack at him as he laid there. He must have cast a spell at the same time though. The entire area lit up with white light. That. . ."

He motions over to the crater and ring of destruction around it.

"Is where it took place."

Agnes' demeanor changes as her worst assumption was reaffirmed.

"You need to come with us. Will you come willingly?" Agnes asks.

"Yes I will, but is there a way to get a message to my family?" Auden asks.

"We might be able to as long as if you keep cooperating." Agnes says as if on autopilot.

"Thank you." He says in return.

Agnes leads the way back to the port city. She doesn't utter another word as she clenches her jaw tight and she never lets go of Saito's cape.

The others stay quiet as well.

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After escorting Auden to a general and his advisors, Aimee and Guinevere head to the dock with Agnes.

They approach a very tall and burly man with a very distinguished mustache.

He looks up from some papers and gets startled from Agnes' presence and appearance.

"Ummmm. I was expecting your arrival, but I wasn't expecting it so . . ." Frederick starts to say.

"We wish to head back to Tristan Frederick." Aimee interrupts his sentence.

He then notices the bloody cape that Agnes was carrying.

"You are cleared captain." Frederick says sadly to them.

'It's a shame that boy died. He is a hero to everyone here.' He thinks as they head up the ship.

Agnes doesn't even bother going inside of the ship. She sits on a bench that is mounted on the deck.

She eventually Agnes gets lulled to sleep after the ship finally takes off.

"Guinevere?" Aimee says.

"Yeah?"

"Is she going to be alright? She hasn't spoken word since the battlefield."

"I hope so. She is taking this really hard" Guinevere says in response.

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At the academy, in the morning.

*Knock, knock, knock*

"Excuse me your highness."

"Yes Julia?" Henrietta says while sitting at her desk.

"The captain has returned." Julia says through the door in an odd tone.

"Send her in." Henrietta says in rushed voice.

Julia slowly opens the door and Agnes slowly walks in. Julia shuts the door after Agnes goes in.

Henrietta takes in Agnes' horrid appearance and notices the cape in her hand.

She takes a big gulp.

"Agnes. What is that?"

Agnes' mouth is still clenched tight. She pauses a moment before handing the cape over to Henrietta. She didn't want to let it go.

Henrietta examines the bloody cape and finds the insignia on it. She gets up and walks around to Agnes.

"Agnes, please tell me what this is?" Henrietta asks in a more worrisome tone.

Agnes grits her teeth.

"It's. . . . . . Saito's."

Henrietta collapse into Agnes, wrapping her arms around her and starts crying.

Agnes, unsure of what else to do herself, decides to wrap her arms around Henrietta.

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Just after the battle.

A beautiful girl with long, blond hair approaches Saito. She is wearing a short, green outfit with white material around her arms and legs.

She extends her arm out.

'I don't know what happened to him, but he doesn't look like a bad person. So I will help him like my mother said.'

Just as she was about to use her ring, she notices that he is breathing.

'He is passed out.'

"Excuse me? Sir? Please wake up."

She tries to nudge him a few times.

'I can't just leave him here.'

After many tries to carry him and drag him to her cabin, she goes back to her cabin and grabs a blanket. She eventually manages to get him into her cabin and into her bed.

She sets his sword to the side and starts tending to his wounds.

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 **A/N:** Chapter 22 finished. Thanks for reading.


	23. Chapter 23: The Fairy In The Forest

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-three

The Fairy In The Forest

2nd day after the battle, morning.

Tiffania was in the middle of cleaning off Saito's wounds. He is still unconscious.

She was intently wiping up his injuries with a damp cloth.

"What are your intentions for him young lady?" Derflinger says from where Tiffania had leaned him against a wall.

Tiffania yelps from being started and starts looking around the room for another person.

"Who's here? Where are you?" She asks aloud when she doesn't see anybody.

Her heart starts to race in fear.

"It's me. The sword against the wall." He says to her.

She slowly gets up from the bed and walks over toward Derflinger.

"Hello?" She hesitantly says to Derf.

"Hello."

She yelps again.

"You're a talking sword."

"And you, my dear, are an elf."

She reaches up to her head and realizes that she isn't wearing her hat, and then kneels in front of Derf in defeat.

"Actually, I am only a half elf." She says to the talking sword.

'I should have remembered to put on my hat.' She scolds herself.

"What are your intentions for my partner?" Derf asks again.

"I am just tending to his wounds 'til he wakes up."

"That's all?" Derf asks in a perplexed tone.

Tiffania nods her head innocently.

"Why?" Isn't it the right thing to do?"

"You two are two of a kind." Derf admittedly says to her.

"I should really get back to his wounds." She says to Derf.

"Thank you for taking care of him."

She smiles.

"You are welcome Mr. Sword."

"It's Derflinger, and his name is Saito."

"I am Tiffania."

They continue their conversation as she tends to Saito's wounds.

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Afternoon.

Saito groggily starts to open his eyes.

'I feel like a train hit me.'

He looks around and realizes that he doesn't recognize where he is at. He also sees Derflinger against the wall.

He grits his teeth as he rises up and attempts to get out of bed to reach for Derflinger. He makes a large thump on the floor as he falls. He crawls over to Derf.

He hears footsteps running towards his direction.

He barely manages to draw Derf out of his scabbard and makes a poor attempt to take a defensive stance towards whoever is coming.

He grits his teeth as he fights his body from dropping to the ground. His arms shake as they can hardly hold Dreflinger up.

His torso and his arm are wrapped in bandages and the only thing he is wearing is a pair of crudely made shorts.

Tiffania rushes in, and stops when she sees Saito.

Saito gets stunned by her beauty as she rushes in, but he continues to try to hold his stance.

"Yo. Bro. It's ok. She isn't going to hurt you." Derflinger says reassuringly to Saito.

"That's . . . . . . Good." Saito manages to say before dropping Derf to the floor.

He then follows that up by falling to the floor himself and onto his side.

"Why is my back burning?" He says aloud, softly.

Tiffania rushes over and notices blood soaking through some of the bandages on his back.

"You ripped open part of your wound. Please lay still. I will go get some more water and bandages." She says to him.

She rushes out of the room.

Saito looks at her head as she rushes out.

"Elf ears?" He says softly.

He also notices a pile of cloth bandages next to the bed.

She comes back in and helps him get back into the bed.

He sees some spots of blood on the bed.

"I am sorry for making a mess of your bed."

"Just hold still while I clean you up Saito."

"I take it Derflinger told you my name, but I don't know your name." He says to Tiffania.

"I'm sorry. It's Tiffania."

She starts to clean him up and redress his bandages.

"I am sorry about your clothes. You were soaked from head to toe in water, blood, and mud."

"How am I alive?"

"I teleported us out of there." Derflinger interjects.

"I didn't know you could do that." He says to Derf.

"It's not something that I can do very often, but I soaked up quite a bit of energy from that battle. I got us out of there a split second before their attack hit us. We ended up in the forest not too far away, and that is when Tiffania found you unconscious. She brought you here and has been taking care of you."

"Without knowing who I was?" He asks Derflinger.

"Apparently so. She is just like you Saito. She said it was the right thing to do."

"I was a little scared at first because you were so bloody. But something told me that you were a good person."

"Well thank you Tiffania."

"You're welcome. My mother said to use my abilities to help people." Tiffania says to Saito.

"By the way, are you an elf?"

She reaches up for the hat that isn't there, and then pouts.

"Oh no. I did it again. I never wear it around the house. I've never had guests until now." Tiffania whines out.

Saito gives an amused smile.

She rushes out of the room and fetches her hat.

When she comes back to the room she only peers in and looks a little scared.

"What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"You're not scared of me?"

"I will admit that I have never seen an elf before, but I am not shocked. This is a world full of monsters and magic."

"But humans hate and fear elves."

"Are you going to try to hurt or kill me?"

She shakes her head.

"Then I have nothing to worry about."

She smiles.

"Really?" She asks in an excited tone.

He nods.

She rushes in and sits next to him again.

"That makes me so happy."

She gives him a very gentle hug.

"You sound like someone that doesn't have anybody." He says to her.

She gets a little bit of a sad look on her face.

"I don't. I live here alone. When I find people hurt, I come to them in fog and make it seem like I am a fairy or a ghost."

"Aren't there other elves you could at least talk to?"

"I am not liked by elves either. I am only a half elf. So I am even an outcast among the elves too."

"That is sad to hear that. I was hoping that there wouldn't be something like that here, but I guess fear is universal."

He reaches for her hand.

"I am here for you. I won't shun you or try to hurt you just because you are different. You can take your hat off when it is just us. I think you are beautiful and that you shouldn't be afraid. You don't have to hide your ears."

She smiles and blushes.

"Thank you Mr. Saito."

He smiles back.

She takes off her hat.

"How long was I out?"

"A day and a half." Derf says to Saito.

"Man. That battle took a lot out of me."

Tiffania nods.

"Your sword told me all about it. I can't believe you went through all of that. I can't believe that you were the cause of all of that rain that came down. I barely made it out of that downpour. I will admit, it was kind of scary to hear all of that, but you did it to protect all of the people you know."

"I just wish I wouldn't have had to attack all of those people." Saito says with a glum face.

"I am sorry Saito."

"Hey Tiffania?"

"Yes Saito."

"Two things. I need to use the bathroom, and I am rather parched."

She giggles a little bit.

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Tristan academy, same day and roughly the same time.

Siesta was trying to do her duties.

The academy has been very busy with everything that has been going on and all of the staff has been on overdrive. It was supposed to be closed, but it reopened because Henrietta was using as a meeting hub.

Siesta just couldn't focus. Ever since she found out that Saito went to the battle field, her thoughts keeps wandering back to him.

She was in the kitchen. Without even thinking, she just sits down and leans her head against the wall. She seemed a little pale.

This didn't get unnoticed by Marteau.

'I know she was pretty close to him. We are extremely busy, but I think that she needs some time to herself.'

"Hey Siesta!"

She gets startled and jumps up from her seat.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." She says to him.

He walks over to her.

"It's ok Siesta. Why don't you take a couple days off. We will manage."

"Thank you Marteau. I am sorry for the trouble."

He gives her a hug.

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That evening.

Tiffania had given Saito back his clothes after she had cleaned and mended them.

"Would you like to accompany me outside for a little bit while I gather up some herbs and fruit? Some fresh air might be good for you." Tiffania asks.

"I think you might be right. I have gotten quite a bit more mobile as the day has progressed."

"Just don't push it too much."

He nods.

'Maybe a little walk will help me clear my mind too. I can't stop thinking about all of that killing I did. I acted out of instinct back then, but it is terrifying what I did on that battlefield.'

Tiffania grabs her hat and a basket.

She helps Saito up.

Saito hesitates for a moment when he goes to grab for Derflinger.

'I don't want to, but maybe I should still take him with me.'

He grabs Derf and straps him to his side.

"Are you ready to go?" Asks Tiffania.

"Yeah."

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After getting to the area that she wanted to go to, Saito rests against a tree.

"This area is very bountiful, so I should be able to find almost everything that I need." Tiffania says to Saito.

"It really is beautiful here." Saito says.

She starts to rummage through the various plants and trees in the surrounding area.

'I can't believe how nice she has been to me. I can't stand how people shun others just because they are different. I've seen it so much in my own world. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different considering how nobles treat commoners. I will have to make sure I come back and visit her. I should leave here soon though. I should get back to the others.'

Tiffania takes a glance at Saito through some bushes.

'I am very happy I ran into him. He is so nice. He is the first person I have run into that treats me like the way that he has. I've had to use my spell that erases memories just because people fear and hate my kind.' She thinks to herself.

She picks some leaves off of a small plant.

'I am sure he is going to leave, but I would love it if he stayed. He has been so nice and he has made wonderful company. I wonder what he is thinking about though. He has seemed to be distracted about something.'

'I wonder if the others would really want to see me if they knew everything I did out there. I killed so many people. I feel guilty, because I knew that they were under mind control. I think I understand what Colbert was talking about.' Saito thinks with an uneasy mind.

He looks over to Tiffania.

'I don't know what to think. She seems to accept what I did even if it did sound scary to her. It doesn't sound like she knows about all of my girlfriends, but she knows I did what I did to protect everyone.'

"Hmmmmmm. Maybe a little nap is in order." He says softly to himself.

He slowly nods off to sleep while Tiffania picks what she needs.

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Saito strolls through the streets of South Gotha.

He is by himself and finds a vender selling fine fruit.

He gets a tap on his leg.

He looks down to see a little girl in commoners clothing.

"Hello little one. Is there something I can help you with? Are you lost?"

He looks around and doesn't see anyone that could be her parents.

"Let's look for your parents."

He goes to reach for the girl's hand.

She kicks him as tears start to roll down her face.

"Meanie! You killed my daddy." She says and then runs away.

He closes his eyes and scratches his head.

He opens his eyes to find himself in the middle of the battlefield of 70,000. Bodies lie all around him as he stands there. He is covered in blood and blood is dripping from Derflinger.

He hears the voice again.

"You killed my daddy!"

He hears footsteps behind him.

"Saito. Saito."

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"Saito. Saito." Tiffania says as she tries to nudge him awake.

"Ahhhhh." He yells out as he gets startled awake.

He turns to the side away from Tiffania as he hurls from his dream.

"Oh no. Are you okay Saito?"

"I'm sorry. I will be okay."

"Are you sure? I had finished and I saw you fidgeting. Were you having a nightmare?" She says out of concern.

"Yeah, but I will be okay. Let's get going."

She wraps her arm around his along the walk back to her cabin.

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Dusk.

After eating a simple dinner, Saito and Tiffania sit outside on the porch to her cabin.

"I wish I could see some of the things that you have seen Saito. Everything sounds so amazing. I've kept myself cooped up here."

"You shouldn't let society hold you back."

"I'm not brave like you." She says shyly.

"That should be changed."

"I don't know."

He puts a hand on hers.

"I do know."

She gets a light blush.

"I also know that I would like to know more about you. What you're able to do seems amazing to me too."

"Really?"

He nods.

Saito takes a big deep breath.

"I like the serenity that this forest gives off. Maybe it's from your influence."

She smiles brightly.

As the sunlight dims more and more fireflies start lighting up the night.

"Have you ever danced with the fireflies?" She asks him.

"Danced with the fireflies?"

She smiles and nods.

She gets up from her chair and hops over to an open area filled with fireflies.

She starts to sing a song in elven that she learned from her mother and starts to dance among the fireflies.

Saito watches in awe.

Eventually she pulls him out there with her and lightly dances around him.

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They start settling in for bad after Tiffania made some chamomile tea from her herb collection.

"You are the one who should be sleeping in the bed. This is your home." Saito says as he tries to sit back up.

She puts a hand on his chest and pushes him back down.

"No. You need at least another good night's rest before you are well enough."

"Alright." He says to her.

She takes an extra pillow and curls up in a chair.

"Thank you for everything you have done for me Tiffania. You have been too kind." Saito says to her.

"You can just call me Tiffa if you want. I should be thanking you. You have also been very kind to me." She says back with a smile and a blush.

After a little while, Saito gives up on trying to sleep. And slowly gets up.

'I don't want to have that dream again.'

He sits on a window ledge and stares out the window in the light of the twin moons.

"You look so deep in thought." Tiffania says as she walks up to Saito.

"Sorry Tiffa, Just a lot on my mind."

"Come on. Let's get you in bed. You need to sleep."

"I tried."

"Let me handle that."

She helps him back into bed and then sits next to him.

She starts to hum a little tune and eventually lulls him to sleep.

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Saito strolls through the streets of South Gotha again.

'This seems familiar.

He is by himself and finds a vender selling fine fruit.

He gets a tap on his leg.

He looks down to see a little girl in commoners clothing.

"Hello little one. Is there something I can help you with? Are you lost?"

He looks around and doesn't see anyone that could be her parents.

"Let's look for your parents."

He goes to reach for the girl's hand.

She kicks him as tears start to roll down her face.

"Meanie! You killed my daddy." She says and then runs away.

He closes his eyes and scratches his head.

He opens his eyes to find himself in the middle of the battlefield of 70,000. Bodies lie all around him as he stands there. He is covered in blood and blood is dripping from Derflinger.

He hears the voice again.

"You killed my daddy!"

He hears footsteps behind him.

He turns and lunges Derflinger in the direction of the steps.

His eyes go wide and his jaw drops when he sees what he did.

He rammed Derflinger right into Siesta.

"Why Saito." Siesta says with tears streaming down her face.

He becomes frantic.

"Oh my god. Siesta. I didn't mean to."

"I thought you loved us Saito."

Instead of the area being littered with a sea of dead bodies, there are only 3 other bodies around him other than siesta.

His other girlfriends lay slaughtered on the ground; their mutilated bodies were barely recognizable.

"You murderer."

"Oh my god. Siesta! Agnes! Henrietta! Tabitha! No. No! No!"

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Saito lunges forward in bed. The feeling in his stomach makes him rush out of bed, past Tiffania, and onto the porch outside.

He throws up over the edge.

Tiffa runs up behind him and puts her hands on his shoulders.

"Saito."

"I am sorry Tiffania."

"You don't need to be sorry, but please tell me what is bothering you."

"I guess you deserve that much. I had a dream about the battle I went through. A little girl ran up to me and said I killed her father and then I ended up also killing some people I know. There was so much blood."

He puts his hand to his face.

"I am a murderer."

She pulls him back and embraces him. She rests his head on her large breast.

"You called out for names. Who are they?"

He sighs.

"I guess I can tell you since I know about you, but you have to keep it a secret."

She nods.

"They are my girlfriends and I slaughtered them in my dream."

"Girl. . . friends?"

He nods.

'It figures. I finally meet a man that I really like that treats me like a normal person and he has girlfriends.' She thinks.

"It's a long story."

"Saito. You can't call yourself a murderer. I can definitely tell that you are a good person."

"But I killed those people." He retorts back.

"You tried to save as many of them as you could. You only killed some of them because you had to protect the people you love. Anyone that not cares that much about the people he loves, but also about the lives of the people that he doesn't even know, can't be a murderer."

"I guess." He says in a soft voice.

"Come on. Let's go for a morning walk."

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After hearing the news about Saito's death from Agnes, Siesta shuts herself into her room.

She takes off most of her clothes and lies in bed with a blank look in her eyes.

'It's not fair. Why?'

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Henrietta stands on the deck of her flagship in her battle outfit with a very pissed off look on her face.

'I will take the Albion capital Londinium today. I will not let this go. First Whales, and now Saito. They will pay for what they have done.'

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Tabitha looks out from a window on the same ship as Henrietta.

She has her hands cross.

'I am glad Henrietta is letting me come even if she doesn't believe me. The reports say he is dead, but I can't help but feel he is alive. Maybe it's from my bond to him. If he is alive, then where is he?'

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Tiffania talks to Saito about the various plants as they take their little walk. She also tells him about some of the goofy things she's done while out there. She's been doing whatever she can to keep his mind off of things.

They hear some people running in the distance.

"Get him!" A man yells out.

Saito grabs Tiffania and ducks behind a tree. Her back is against the tree and he presses against her to hide from being seen.

She blushes from the contact.

He puts his hand on Derflinger's hilt without any hesitation.

"If anything happens, then run away. I will distract them while you get away." Saito whispers to her.

'So brave and selfless.' She thinks to herself.

Three men are chasing another through the woods.

"Stop you conspirator." Another man says.

An arrow wizzes by and hits a man in the shoulder.

"In the name of the Water Demon we will stop your tyranny."

Two of the three stop and look at the third, whom also stops running.

"Why a demon?"

"From the way he killed all of those men at the mountain pass. He killed thousands of men."

Saito's eyes go wide in shock.

'They must be talking about me.' Saito thinks to himself as he looks past the trees.

Tiffania looks into his face the whole time while trying to read his emotions.

"Only a demon could have fought and killed like that."

Saito lowers his face onto Tiffania's shoulder.

"That might be so, but he is a hero. If he wouldn't have washed us away with all of that rain, then we wouldn't have broken out of that mind control. He is the Sword Of Justice." Says the second man.

"He still can't be normal. Nobody else could have taken on a whole army like that. He is the Arch-Angel of Water." The third man says.

They all shrug.

"Hey! He's getting away!"

They take after the gut that got shot with an arrow.

Tiffa wraps her arms around Saito. One arm wraps around his waist and another along his shoulder.

"See Saito. You didn't kill everyone. At least some of them got out of that mind control. That wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you." She whispers to him.

"Thanks Tiffa. I feel a little better knowing that and hearing everything that you have said to me. I think it might be time for me to go back."

She hugs him and nods.

'I wish he didn't have to go.' She thinks.

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Henrietta's ship arrives at the port city, and everyone seems to be running around.

She gets greeted by Friederich.

"Hello your highness. I was not expecting to see you."

"I am going to take over the capital. What is going on here?"

A general runs over to Henrietta and bows.

"Your highness, our troops are coming back."

"What troops?" She asks.

"The ones that got taken over from the poisoned water."

She gets a shocked look on her face.

"Apparently, the Arch-Angel saved them when he washed them away with rain the likes of Brimir could only have seen. This Arch-Angel has also been called a Water Demon and the Sword Of Justice."

'Is this Saito's work?' She wonders.

"That isn't all my Queen."

"What else is there?"

"Albion troops have also been coming here to side with the same country that the Water

Demon sides with, and there are also reports of revolt against the government from the saved troops. It's like a civil war out there."

"Then this is our window of opportunity. Rally together our troops. We are heading to South Gotha and then Londinium." Henrietta says to the general.

"Yes your majesty."

'I wish Saito was here for this. I really hope Tabitha is right after all. She will definitely have to accompany me to the capital to see Saito's handy work.' Henrietta thinks.

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Saito follows parallel to the main road that leads back to the port city.

"I hope I can manage to find a way back to Tristan."

As he walks along the path he finds what looks like a patrol of Tristan troops.

He slowly approaches them.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Saito raises his hands.

"I am Saito Hiraga from Tristan. I trained under Agnes, captain of the Queen's musketeer squad."

The squad members look at each other in shock.

"I can't believe you are alive. The Queen was able to take over the Capital because of you."

"What?" Saito asks.

"She took over the capital, Londinium."

"I need to go there." He says to the patrol group.

"Let me take him there."

The one in charge nods his head.

"Young lad, I think that the Queen will be quite pleased to see you." The leader says.

"Okay." Saito says in a very puzzled tone.

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That evening, just outside the city of Londinium.

'I feel like Tabitha is nearby for some reason.'

He looks at the entrance to the city.

"I'm here." He says.

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 **A/N:** Chapter 23 finished.

A lot sure did happen.

I didn't want to drag out his return any longer so I tried to get it wrapped up all in one chapter.

Thanks for reading.


	24. Chapter 24: Saito's Return

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-four

Saito's Return

"He's here." Tabitha says to Henrietta with a surprised look on her face.

"Who?"

"Saito."

"What? How do you know?" Henrietta asks in response.

'He's alive?" Agnes thinks.

"I swear I just heard him say he is here, and I feel like he is close." Tabitha says.

'I wish I wouldn't have sworn not to get in Henrietta's way, but if they were to ask me again. . .' Agnes thinks.

"Agnes. Go get him. Maybe he is at the gates."

Agnes goes to turn to leave.

"And Agnes." Henrietta stops Agnes.

Agnes turns back to Henrietta.

"Yes your highness?"

"Just make sure that you don't do anything with him where everyone can see you." Henrietta says with a smile and then looks over to Tabitha.

Agnes gets a surprised look on her face.

'Is she implying what I think she is implying.'

Agnes also looks over to Tabitha.

Tabitha nods her head.

"But your highness. . ."

"I think I can safely say this for both Tabitha and I. We know what you said, but we could also tell how much you love him. We could tell how much he loves you too, and he never gave up on you even though you turned him down." Henrietta says to her.

Agnes blushes.

"Now hurry up and go get him." Henrietta says while motioning with her hands to leave.

Agnes rushes out the door with a smile on her face.

'I am coming Saito!' Agnes thinks to herself.

Henrietta sits down with a very satisfied smile on her face.

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Saito starts to walk toward the entrance to Londinium with the guard that was escorting him. They get stopped at the entrance by another set of guards.

"I see this soldier, but who are you?"

"I am Saito Hiraga."

"There is no way. We were told that you were dead."

Saito Shrugs.

"If I was dead, then I wouldn't be here talking to you."

"Don't get smart with me boy."

Saito sighs.

"Is there any way that I can make you believe that I am who I say I am?" Saito asks.

"I am sorry, but we will have to detain you until we can get verification."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No sir. We are not letting anyone in that we do not know."

"I think Agnes might have something different to say."

"Did somebody say my name?" Agnes says as she approaches on horseback.

She tries to keep her emotions down as she sees Saito.

"Am I glad to see you." Saito says

"It is good to see you as well. You need to come with me. The queen would like to see the man that took out the army of 70,000."

She gives a stern look to the guards.

"I understand that you are doing your job, but I don't suggest delaying him any longer if you know what I mean."

They nod their heads and let him through.

She smiles at Saito and extends her arm. He grabs it and gets on the horse with her, and wraps his arms around her from behind.

"I truly am glad to see you." He whispers to her.

She blushes.

They start making their way back to the palace.

As they trot along, he notices how much damage some of the building have taken. There are also many Albion men sitting on the ground smiling and laughing.

"I wonder why they are smiling. Aren't they captured?" He says to Agnes.

"It's because of you. Those soldiers broke through their mind control when you washed them away. They fought against the soldiers that were still siding with the government. Then they gave up to us when they found out that the water demon, you, was from our side."

Saito shakes his head.

"Yeah, I think that I like a couple of the other names I heard better than that one." He says to her.

She chuckles.

Eventually, they get to the palace.

A knight takes Agnes' horse when they get off.

She nods off to some guards at the entrance as they enter into the palace.

As they walk the halls they run into two familiar faces.

Aimee and Guinevere look at each other in excitement.

"You're alive! I can't believe it!" says Aimee.

The both run over and give him a hug.

Agnes glares at them.

"Behave yourselves." Agnes says to them while crossing her arms.

'If I can't do it, then they are most certainly not going to do it before me.' Agnes thinks.

They immediately let go and pout a little bit.

"Sorry captain." They both say.

"We were just happy to see that he was alive." Guinevere says.

"I can agree, but please get back to your duties.

Agnes continues on with Saito.

They get to an empty hallway with a couple rooms that Agnes knew were also empty.

"Do you have any injuries Saito?"

"I had some, but with a little bit of old fashioned healing and a little bit of magic I am all better."

"That is good to hear."

As they walk by one of the doors, Agnes grabs him and pulls him into the room.

"What's this about Agnes?"

She punches him in the ribs.

He hunches over a little and grabs his side.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"That was for doing what you did to me and the others."

"I'm so. . ."

She grabs his collar, shoves him against a wall, and presses against him. Her face is blushed and it is very close to his.

"Ummm. Agnes?"

She kisses him deeply, and passionately.

After a moment of shock, he returns the kiss and wraps his arms around her.

A very long moment passes before they release their lips, but they are still holding each other.

Agnes looks into his eyes.

"And that was for coming back alive." Agnes says between heavy breaths.

He smiles at her lovingly.

"I love you Saito. Thank you for not giving up on me."

"I am glad to hear you say that. I love you too Agnes."

"We should probably get to the queen before someone comes looking for us." Agnes says to him

"Agreed."

They release and start to fix themselves up.

She peeks out the door to see if anyone was in the hallway. She leads him back out when she realizes no one is out there.

They eventually see the door that Henrietta and Tabitha are behind. Julia is guarding the door.

Julia smiles happily at the site of Saito.

"It is great to see you alive, Saito. I can't wait to hear how you survived." Julia says to him.

She knocks on the door.

"Your majesty. Agnes is here with Saito."

"Send them in." Henrietta says from the other side of the door.

After they walk in, Agnes quickly closes the door behind them.

"I can see that Agnes gave you a very good welcome."

Saito looks down and then back up. His face gets beat red.

Agnes blushes and looks away.

Tabitha marches up to him and just stares at him.

"Tabitha?"

"I want you to know that if I were Louise, then I would proceed to beat the crap out of you for what you did."

'Scary.' He thinks.

"I am very upset." Tabitha adds.

He holds up his hands in defense.

"Don't do that to me again." Tabitha also adds.

He nods vigorously.

Tears start to stream down her face as she hugs him tightly.

Henrietta walks over.

"First, you are alive. Then you die protecting everyone, and I take over a country because of it. And then you come back alive again." Henrietta says confusingly to Saito.

"Do you want me to go back and die?" He retorts back.

"Noooooooooooo!" Henrietta whines out.

She also starts crying and hugging Saito.

"How did you survive that ordeal?" Agnes asks.

"I wouldn't have if it wasn't for Derflinger and a fairy in the forest." Saito says.

"A fairy in the forest?" Henrietta questions.

"It's something that Guiche said. I was saved by a person that lived in the forest. She found me passed out and wounded. She took care of me until I was well enough again."

Tabitha lets go and looks up at him.

"A woman." Tabitha says.

"We didn't do anything. I swear. She just helped me recover." He tries to say in defense.

"And she just helped you out without knowing who you were?" Agnes asks.

He nods.

"Well, then she is either really nice or incredibly stupid." Agnes says.

"I would probably say the former than the latter, with a little bit of naivety mixed in." Saito adds.

"Well. Either way, I would like to meet the person that helped you. We first have some other business to attend to." Henrietta says.

Henrietta sits at a desk and starts writing on some paper.

"I want you to go back to Tristan." Henrietta says as she is writing.

"Why is that?" Saito asks.

"For one thing, you should probably go check on Siesta." Henrietta says.

"She was pretty upset when she found out you were dead." Agnes says to Saito.

"And we didn't want to bring her along with us because she isn't a warrior. We didn't know what we were going to face when we came back here."

"I hope she is okay."

"You made her cry too." Tabitha says coldly to Saito.

Saito puts a hand to his face.

"I am sorry I made you all upset. I wanted to keep you all safe, and I had to make sure that all of you got out safe. I don't think that I would have been able to live with myself if I let something happen to any of you."

"You can't be a good boyfriend if you are dead." Tabitha retorts back.

"Point taken." Saito says.

"I can't express how happy we are to have you back." Henrietta says.

"But don't do that to us again." Agnes says to Saito with her arms crossed.

"I want you to bring Siesta and Louise back here. I will not wait to get back to Tristan to take care of some business." Henrietta says.

"Okay?" Saito questioningly agrees.

"Agnes. Have Julia bring Aimee and Guinevere here. I am going to have them escort Saito."

"But . . " Agnes starts to interject.

"I need you and Julia here in case something happens." Henrietta interrupts.

'Damn.' Agnes thinks.

"I have a separate mission for those two to take care of while you get things together. They will drop you off at the academy. And they will go to the palace to get something for me."

"Very well your highness." Agnes says.

Agnes opens the door.

"Please send for Aimee and Guinevere to come here at once." Agnes says to Julia.

"I want Siesta to hear from you, but it is getting pretty late. You should spend tonight here and then leave in the morning. The hero should spend the night in the palace." Henrietta says to Saito.

"I guess you are right. I hate that I can't tell her right now that I am ok."

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That night.

Saito was in a guest room, lying in bed by himself.

'I wonder why I am in here by myself. I figured Tabitha would have been in here with me.'

He thinks for a moment.

'I wonder if this is going to be like one of those scenes from one of those anime that I've watched. Nah. What could happen? It's just Henrietta, Agnes, Tabitha and me. Right?'

He rolls over onto his side and smiles.

'It would be nice to get some alone time with them. Especially since that whole ordeal I just went through. I should probably get a little rest in the meantime in case they do come to visit me.'

He quickly falls asleep.

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After checking on a handful of things, Guinevere was heading to her room for her sleep shift.

'So much has happened over the past handful of days. It has worn everyone down. Saito returned just in time. I think seeing him perked everyone up. I am glad to see that he is alive.

She is walking down the hallway to her temporary room.

'I thought for sure that he was dead when we saw that crater.'

She was just about to enter her room when she looked over at a door next to hers.

'Maybe I will check and make sure he is okay. We wouldn't want something to happen to him after he just came back.'

She walks over to his door and lightly knocks on it.

She gets no answer.

"Hmmmmm." She utters with a hand to her chin.

'Maybe he is asleep, but what if something is wrong? Maybe a little look inside will be ok. It's just to check on him.'

She slowly opens the door and peeks inside.

She sees a body in the bed but she couldn't tell much from the doorway.

She walks in slowly and gets right next to the bed.

'He seems okay. I should go before I wake him.'

Saito stirs and his eyes slightly open.

His sight is a little foggy but he could see the silhouette of a musketeer.

'It must be Agnes. So they were planning on bothering me in the middle of the night. Well.'

He grabs her hand, pulls her onto the bed, and starts kissing her.

"Wait. . . . no. . . . .I . . . . mmm . . . . okay." Guinevere barely mutters out between kisses.

Saito goes to put his hand on the back of her head and realizes that she has long hair.

'Wait. Agnes does not have long hair.'

His eyes go wide open and he sees that he is actually kissing Guinevere.

'Shit.'

He sits up extremely quickly.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. I am so sorry."

'I can't let her know that I thought she was Agnes. It's supposed to be a secret.

"I was half awake and I didn't realize."

"I am the one that's sorry. I was checking on you to make sure you were okay, and I came inside when you didn't respond to my knocks."

She gets off of the bed quickly and bows to him. She covers her beat red face as she exits out of his room.

He flumps back into the bed.

"I cannot believe that just happened."

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After doing some sneaking around to make sure she didn't get noticed, Henrietta slips into Saito's room.

She is wearing a very long, sleek, and revealing camisole.

She slips into bed behind Saito and starts to stroke his hair.

Saito slowly stirs awake again.

'That feels good, but wait. Who is this in bed with me now.'

He whips his head around to see who is in bed with him. His head nearly collides with Henrietta's.

He sighs in relief.

"Are you okay Saito?"

"Very. I am really happy to see you."

He turns toward her and sees what she is wearing.

His face gets blushed.

Henrietta smiles.

"Do you like?"

"Yes I do." He says as he nods.

She gives him a big hug and then a light kiss.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you are alive. I really thought that you were dead. I was devastated."

"I am sorry Henrietta."

"There was no way that I wasn't going to spend some time with you tonight." She says to him.

She lays her head on his chest. A couple tears come down from her eyes.

"I realize now, more than ever before, how much I want to be with you." Henrietta admits.

"I didn't think that I was going to be coming back. I also realized how much I love all of you. I couldn't picture being without you."

"That makes me happy to hear you say that."

She thinks for a moment.

She slides slightly on top of him and gets her face really close to his.

"This reminds me of that night when you were my body guard." She says to him.

He smiles.

"Except you are my girlfriend this time."

She smiles and starts kissing him.

Henrietta leaves after she spends a little more time kissing; and talking; and kissing; and cuddling; and kissing some more.

"By the way, you might get a couple more guests tonight." She says as she smiles while exiting his room.

'Oh boy.' He thinks to himself.

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Agnes casually walks down the hallway as if she was on patrol and stops right in front of Saito's door.

She looks forward.

Then she looks back.

Then she looks forward.

Then she looks back.

'I can't believe that I am doing this.'

She quickly rushes into his room and shuts the door.

Saito gets startled and sits up quickly.

Before anything utters out of his mouth, a hand gets put over it.

"Shhhhhhh."

He sees that it is Agnes.

'It's going to be a long night.' Saito thinks to himself.

He pulls her hand down.

"It's good to see you too Agnes." He whispers.

"Stay quiet and don't stare."

She starts to take off her uniform. She blushes as she does this. She strips down to her underwear and sits on the bed.

She is sitting up with her legs crossed.

She sits there without uttering anything else.

Saito decides to break the silence.

"What are you doing?"

"I am spending time with you." She says to him.

He quirks an eyebrow.

She grabs a pillow and hugs it toward her.

After another moment of silence, Agnes decides to speak up.

"Lay back." She says to him.

"Okay?"

"Just do it."

He lays back.

She lays her head on his chest in way that Saito can only see the back of her head.

Her face is beat red.

He puts a hand on her shoulder.

"I have no clue what to do. Henrietta told me that I should at least do this."

'She did tell me some other things too, but I can't tell him those.' She thinks.

He starts to stroke her hair.

"I never had a boyfriend until now. I never even considered it. As you know, my drive was elsewhere."

"I am glad to be your first then." He says to her.

"Me too. I can't believe how much I have fallen for you."

"So what finally made you realize it?"

"You died."

"Damn."

"You are not allowed to do that again by the way. Or I will bring you back and kill you myself."

He chuckles a little bit.

"I will remember that."

"You better."

"I am sorry that I put all of you through that. I just wanted to protect all of you."

"I am really glad that you are not dead Saito."

He pulls her up and starts to kiss her.

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Aimee starts yawning really bad and starts to have a hard timekeeping her eyes open.

'I think that I should switch with Guinevere. I am really tired.'

She starts heading to the room that Guinevere was at to switch with her.

She is so tired she passed up her door and goes right into Saito's room.

As the door opens up, Saito and Agnes stop kissing and quickly duck under the covers.

The door shuts and the sound of stuff being thrown on the floor can be heard.

"It's your turn to watch Guinevere." Aimee tiredly mutters out as she flumps on the bed next to Saito.

Agnes starts to get a furious look on her face.

Saito puts a hand over her mouth.

"She can't know that you are in here with me remember?" He whispers into her ear.

Agnes annoyingly nods.

Saito goes to turn towards Aimee and when he turns, his face ends up in Aimee's cleavage. She was stripped down to her underwear.

'I can't believe this.' He thinks.

"What are you doing Guinevere?" Aimee tiredly says.

Saito slowly lifts up his head.

His face is completely red.

"Ummmm. Aimee. You are in the wrong room." Saito says.

Agnes is completely covered by the covers.

Aimee's Eyes shoot wide open.

The color of her face changes to the color of a tomato when she sees Saito staring at her.

"Oh no! I can't believe I did this."

She falls out of the bed, but quickly recovers to sloppily throw her clothes back on.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. Please forgive me."

She rushes out of the room.

After the door closes Agnes comes out from under the covers and glares at Saito.

"Don't be mad at me. She is the one that came in here."

"You are very lucky that is the case." She says to him.

He lays back into the bed.

'What a crazy night this has been.' He thinks to himself.

"At least she thought that you were Tabitha." He says to Agnes.

"Remind me to train her better. I am taller than Tabitha."

Saito laughs and nods.

She smiles and gives Saito another kiss.

She, like Henrietta, leaves after a little while.

"I will see you off later. I wish I could stay in here with you, but I don't want to get caught."

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A certain blue-haired girl walks into Saito's room sometime later.

He wakes up as she climbs into bed with him.

'Whew. It's only Tabitha.'

He smiles at her.

"Hey Tabitha."

She hugs him and gives him a nice kiss.

"You had me worried."

'I am beginning to feel really terrible over this for some reason.'

"But somehow, I knew that you were alive. I felt that you were alive. And then I knew when you were here. I heard your voice. I heard you say that you were here."

"Really?"

She nods.

"We will certainly have to look into this a little more."

"It could be helpful."

"I am glad I am back here with you."

She cuddles her back against him in a spooning position.

He starts to kiss the back of her neck and puts his arm around her waist.

She smiles and intertwines her hand with his.

"I love you Tabitha."

"And I love you too, my Archangel of Water."

He laughs as he keeps kissing her.

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Saito wakes up from his reoccurring nightmare.

'Not again. This is becoming bothersome.

Tabitha was still sleeping luckily.

He slips out from the bed. Then he goes out into the hallway for a breather after he puts on his shirt and pants.

'I hope I can shake this off eventually. I now know what Colbert was trying to get across to me. I've got a feeling this isn't going to be easy.'

As he goes around a corner, lost in his thoughts, he runs into something and falls to the ground.

He looks up to see a front-line view of someone's panties.

The girl sits up and quickly pushes down her nightgown and has a huge blush on her face.

"Julia?"

She turns her back to him.

"Please forgive me. I didn't think anyone else was going to be up at this hour except Guinevere. So I came out walking around in just this. I usually take a part of the night watch, so I got a little antsy. Don't tell Agnes. Please. I wouldn't want to feel her wrath. What are you doing up?"

"Just had a little nightmare."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I will be."

"Very well. Please be safe then."

Shen quickly rushes off in embarrassment.

Saito gets up and starts to head back to his room.

'I shouldn't have opened my big mouth.'

He goes back into his room and gets back in bed with Tabitha.

He kisses her on the forehead before trying to go back to sleep.

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 **A/N:** Chapter 24 finished.


	25. Chapter 25: A Friend In Need

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-five

A Friend In Need

Friedrich is standing near the docks looking over some papers.

Saito, Guinevere and Aimee approach and stop when they get within about 5 feet of Friedrich.

"Names?" Friedrich says while still looking at his paperwork.

Saito smiles.

"Saito Hiraga." Saito says.

Friedrich looks through his paperwork.

"You are not . . "

He stops mid-sentence and slowly turns his head to Saito.

"It's a ghost." Friedrich says as he freezes in his stance.

"He is quite alive Friedrich." Aimee says to him.

"I was under the impression that you were dead young lad."

Saito scratches the back of his head.

"I came close to it, but I am better now." He says with a smile.

Friedrich puts a hand to his face.

"First, you are alive and show up without paperwork. Then you die and I take you off of my precious list. Now you are alive again."

Saito and the two musketeers nod.

"Ahhhhhh!" Friedrich hollers out in frustration.

He shakes his clip board at Saito.

"Every time you come through here kid, you disturb the harmonious nature of my lists. All I want is simple peace and order."

Saito hands a letter to him.

"Maybe this will help." Saito says as he hands a letter to him.

Friedrich opens the letter and reads it.

He starts grumbling and goes over to a stand with a quill. He writes Saito's name on his list along with the musketeers.

"Alright. You can go kid."

"Thank you Friedrich. We apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused you." Aimee says.

Friedrich crosses his arms.

As they start to pass him, Friedrich looks over to Saito.

"Hey Saito."

Saito looks over to him.

"Yes?" Saito says in return.

He extends his hand out to Saito.

"Thanks. You saved a lot of people when you took on that army."

Saito smiles and shakes his hand.

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Later, just outside of the academy.

"We are going to have to let you off here. We have business to attend to at the palace, but we will be back for you a little later." Guinevere says to Saito from the top of the carriage.

"Alright. Thank you."

He waves them off.

They both blush as they ride off.

'I can tell that they aren't going to forget about the other night quite so easily.' Saito thinks to himself.

He turns around to enter the academy walls and sees old man Osmond.

"Hello Principal Osmond."

"Hello to you too Saito. We were told that you were dead."

"I have been getting that a lot."

Osmond starts stroking his beard.

"You never cease to amaze me Saito. I am very pleased to see you. What may I ask brings you here though? Tabitha is not here."

Saito hands him a couple letters.

Osmond opens them up and reads them.

"Hmmmmmm. Interesting. Very well then. I will leave you to your business. I will take these to my office and take care of the necessary documentation right away. All of the Valliere sisters are here in case you were wondering."

"Thank you Osmond."

Osmond turns and walks away to his office.

'Now, where am I going to find Siesta?' Saito wonders.

Just after he thinks that, he hears a female voice calling his name.

"Saitoooooo. Saitooooo!"

'That's not Siesta's voice.'

He looks in the direction of the voice.

"Is that Jessica?" He says aloud.

Jessica comes running toward him. She has a panicked look about her.

"Are you okay Jessica?" He asks as he grabs her shoulders.

She shakes her head.

"I am so glad to see you. I need your help. I was going to get someone else, but then I saw you." Jessica says to him through heavy breaths.

"What is wrong?"

"I came to check on Siesta and her room is locked. She's not responding to my calls."

"Couldn't she just be working?"

She shakes her head.

"Mateau said that he told her to take a couple days off. He said that she seemed off from her usual self. She was so upset when she found out you were fighting that army. Please come Saito!"

"Okay. Let's go."

They start rushing for Siesta's room.

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Saito starts to pound on Siesta's door.

After getting no response again Saito takes a deep breath.

'Please tell me that she is okay.'

Saito waves his hand around the door handle and an unlocking sound can be heard.

Saito lets out a deep breath as he opens the door.

As the door opens Jessica and Saito see Siesta's work clothes littered all over the floor.

Then they see Siesta laying in the bad with her back facing them. She seemed very still. She was on top of the covers and it seemed like she was only wearing her underwear and a button down shirt that wasn't buttoned.

Saito takes a big gulp.

'Is she alive? Is she dead? Oh please let her be alive.'

Jessica stands in the doorway with her hands clasped in front of her in a praying fashion.

He slowly approaches.

As he approaches, he looks everywhere for signs of blood, but he doesn't see any.

'Did she really get this way because she thought that I was dead?'

He gets up to her and starts to reach for her.

"Siesta." He says softly.

"Is that you Saito?" He hears her say very faintly.

He tugs on her shoulder to roll her towards him.

When he sees her face, he notices that her eyes seem glazed over.

She looks at him with dead eyes.

"I must be dreaming because I see you Saito."

He cradles her in his arms as tears start to well up in his eyes.

He senses that she must be dehydrated.

He puts a hand on her stomach.

His eyes glow dark blue.

"Hydrate."

His hand starts to glow and life starts to return to her eyes.

Jessica puts her hands to her face as she watches.

'Thank Brimir that she is alive. Thank you Saito.' Jessica thinks.

"You're not dreaming Siesta. I'm here. I'm not dead."

Siesta grips him and buries her head into his chest as she start bawling her eyes out.

Jessica leaves the room and closes the door behind her to give them a little bit of space.

"You left me Saito. You left me alone." Siesta says through sobs.

"I'm sorry Siesta." Saito says as he cradles her.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." She says to him

He lifts her head up and gives her a kiss. He tries to wipe away some of her tears.

"It's okay Siesta. I am back now. Right back here with you."

They sit like this for a couple more minutes before he speaks up again.

"I have something else to take care of while I am here. Jessica is waiting outside for you. Why don't you two get a bite to eat?"

She grips his shirt tightly.

He puts a hand on top of hers.

"It's okay Siesta. I am only going to be here at the academy. When I do leave, you will be accompanying me. Okay?"

She nods and loosens her grip.

"I love you Siesta."

"I love you too Saito."

He puts a hand to her face and kisses her again.

She puts on a smile for him.

He gets up and goes out into the hallway with Jessica.

"Thank you Saito."

He shakes his head.

"You don't need to thank me."

She shakes her head.

"Yes I do. You not only helped out just now, but you saved all of our lives. You really are the sword of the people."

He scratches the back of his head.

"I'm not sure how to respond to that."

She hugs him.

"Just say thank you."

"Thank you."

She lets go.

"You should probably go in there now. You two should get something to eat." He says to Jessica.

She nods and goes inside.

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*Knock, knock, knock*

"Who's there?" Louise says from the other side of the door.

Saito sighs.

"It's Saito."

"Let him in." Cattleya says to Eleonore and Louise."

"But you are not well." Eleonore says to Cattleya.

"I have not seen him in a while, and he did save our little sister.

Louise pouts but then goes to the door.

She opens the door.

"What do you want Saito? We actually don't wish to be bothered today." Louise says to him with a hint of sadness.

"Don't be rude to him. Let him in. It's okay." Cattleya says to her.

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face.

"Is everything okay?" He says as he walks in.

"Cattleya is not feeling well today." Eleonore states to Saito.

As he walks in, he sees Cattleya lying in Louise's bed. She seems a little paler than what she usually does. She is partially covered up with a blanket.

"I will be okay. I am just having one of my rough days." Cattleya says with a soft smile.

She extends her hand out to him.

He grabs a hold of it and sits next to her on the bed.

"It is good to see you Saito."

"It is good to see you too, Cattleya." He says in return to her.

He gives her a soft smile.

'There has to be something I can do for her.' He thinks.

He looks to the other sisters.

"Has nothing worked for her?" He asks Eleonore.

Eleonore shakes her head.

"Nothing has given us any results worth mentioning."

He looks back to Cattleya.

'Serena?'

'Yes my young avatar.'

'Water has the greatest healing powers of all. Isn't there something that we can do for her?'

'Being that I am the embodiment of water. My powers are stronger than any normal magic. It is possible that we may be able to help. I cannot guarantee that we can, but we can try.'

He nods.

He looks back to Louise and Eleonore.

"Would you mind giving us a moment alone?"

Eleonore crosses her arms.

"Why?" Eleonore asks.

"I may be able to help her, but I wish to speak with her alone, first."

Louise looks as if she is about to speak up, but Eleonore puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Because it is you, Saito, I have no problem. Be warned though. If something bad happens to her, I will be very upset." Eleonore tells Saito.

"I understand Eleonore. I don't plan on causing her any harm."

She gives him a smile.

"Thank you Saito." Eleonore says.

Eleonore starts to exit the room.

Louise pauses a moment to give Saito and her sister another glance.

Eleonore grabs her by the ear and pulls her out of the room.

Saito closes the door and then pulls up a chair.

Cattleya smiles at him.

"Even if you can't help me, I still appreciate the effort."

"I have been wanting to speak with you in private for a while now. I wanted to apologize to you."

She gets a puzzled look on her face.

"I know that you had high hopes for me and Louise, but obviously that isn't going to happen. I did keep my word to you though. I have still kept her safe."

"I am touched Saito. You didn't have to apologize. But thank you for keeping her safe. You are too kind Saito."

"You have been very kind to me. You were always kind right from the very beginning. You are very different from almost all of the other nobles I have met."

"Thank you for the compliment Saito. Maybe it's because of my illness, but I have learned to appreciate many things in life and not to worry myself over everything."

'What do I need to do first Serena?'

'An order for us to properly see what is going on with her, you will need to kiss her.'

'What?'

'It is the best way. The fluids in your mucus will communicate with the rest of her body, and you will even be able to see what is wrong with her.'

He puts his hand to his face.

"Is everything okay Saito?" Cattleya asks.

"Well. . . . . . I am going to have to kiss you."

She blushes a little.

"Oh my."

He scratches the back of his head.

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"It will be okay Saito. If that is what you have to do."

He wipes some sweat from his forehead.

"But I do have a request if you are going to do that though."

"A request?"

"Yes. I just want you to make it a nice one."

He gets a puzzled look on his face.

"You will be steeling my first kiss."

"OH! I am so sorry."

She smiles at him.

"I guess I don't mind if it is you." Cattleya says to him.

"Only if you are okay with it."

'I wish I didn't have to do this but, but I will if it means that it will help her.' He thinks.

She nods.

He sits next to her on the bed again.

His eyes start to glow dark blue, and he starts to lean in to kiss her.

She closes her eyes and wraps her arms around him.

He holds himself up with his arms as he softly starts kissing her.

He instantly starts getting a flood of information as he kisses her. He also starts seeing everything that is going on inside of her. It's as if he is traveling along her nerves and jumping from cell to cell inside of her body.

He starts to pull away after a minute. His eyes stay closed as Serena and he processes all of the information.

He slowly starts to open his eyes after a moment. When he opens his eyes, he sees Cattleya smiling at him.

"That was very nice Saito. Thank you."

He smiles back at her.

"It was very nice."

He starts to make a serious face.

"You have been hiding your pain haven't you?"

She starts to tear up and nods.

"That's why you always have that soft smile about you."

She nods again.

"I am so sorry you have been going through this."

She starts wiping her eyes.

"I have good news and bad news for you."

"What is it Saito." She says to him.

"Here is the bad news. What you have is what is called a degenerative disease. There is no way to actually cure what you have. The reason why you have some good days is because it sometimes goes into a submission and then return. You would eventually die from this if left untreated."

"Even though you said many things I didn't know. I always knew that I would probably eventually die from this." Cattleya says to him.

"The good news is that I can give you treatments to make you better, but there is a catch."

"What is that?"

"I will first need to give you a series of treatments about once a week for four weeks, but then I will also need to keep seeing you every month for the rest of your life to prevent it from taking you back over. I will basically be returning your body to a state that it should be in with each treatment. The disease will never stop deteriorating you between treatments."

She gets a shocked look on her face.

"I don't want you to go through that much trouble just for me." She tells him.

He shakes his head and puts a hand on top of hers.

"Someone as nice as you deserves this. I want to do this for you."

"All right Saito. Thank you so much for this."

'What's next Serena?'

'She will need to drink a cup of water, but it can't just be any water. It must be the pure water that you create.'

He nods.

He grabs a cup of water that was sitting on the table next to the bed.

He dumps out the water that was inside of it and creates his own with the wave of a finger.

"I need you to drink all of this please." He says to Cattleya.

After a few attempts, she manages to drink it all down.

'Now what is next?' He asks Serena.

'You need to expose her.' Serena communicates to him.

'Are you kidding me?'

'You will need skin contact with her. You will need to place your hands on her chest and stomach.'

He looks at Cattleya and blushes.

"Ummmmm. . . . . I need to undo your shirt. I am going to have to place a hand on your chest and stomach."

"Oh my Saito. You are so bold. First you kiss me, and now you are already trying to get me undressed." She says to him teasingly.

He turns bright red.

She chuckles a little bit.

"I trust you Saito. Will you help me though? It might be a little difficult for me to undo it.."

"Okay." He says hesitantly back.

He helps her unbutton and untuck her blouse.

His eyes glow dark blue again.

As he goes to put his hands on her chest and stomach, they start to change. They change into a blue, gelatinous liquid.

Cattleya closes her eyes.

'Now, focus on the water and use it to repair all of the damaged areas.' Serena instructs him.

Saito does as she instructed.

Cattleya feels relief as Saito make repairs. Every so often she feels a jolt of pain, but then it is followed by even greater relief afterward.

Saito starts to strain as time progresses, and he grits his teeth.

'Alright Saito, That is enough for today.' Serena tells him.

'A little more.' He thinks.

'Saito, that is enough!'

After another moment he stops.

Cattleya starts crying.

"Oh no. Are you okay?" He asks out of concern.

"I haven't felt this good in a long time. I can't believe it."

Saito stands up.

He starts to stumble around as a bout of vertigo comes over him from over-exerting himself.

He stumble backwards over a chair and knocks over a table as he falls.

Cattleya sits up and extends her hand out in Saito's direction.

After hearing the thud and crash Eleonore and Louise rush in. Eleonore sees a scared look on her sister's face. Then she notices that her blouse is open.

'He must have been trying to impose on her.' She thinks.

Anger fills her facial features as she starts to walk towards Saito.

Cattleya gets out of the bed and stands between Eleonore and Saito.

Shock comes over Eleonore.

'Did she just get out of the bed, my sister who had just been bed ridden?' Eleonore thinks.

"It's okay sister. We had to do this so that he could help me. He didn't do anything wrong." Cattleya says to Eleonore.

Cattleya then turns around to help Saito up.

"Saito. I can't let you do this if this is how you're going to end up." Cattleya says to him.

"It's okay Cattleya. It's my fault. I over exerted myself a little bit." He says reassuringly to her.

'That was reckless of you Saito. You will be giving her more treatments, so you didn't have to go that far.' Serena scolds him.

'I know Serena, but I want to make her well as soon as I can.'

Eleonore looks over Cattleya for a moment while Louise rushes over and clings to her. Louise cries tears of joy.

Eleonore then grabs Saito's hand and pulls him into the hallway while closing the door behind them.

"How is it that you were able to cure her? We tried so many things and nothing worked." Eleonore asks in earnest.

"I didn't actually cure her. I am going to have to keep doing this for the rest of her life. She might be able to extend the time between treatments by exercising more when she starts to feel better. As far as how, I picked up a couple new tricks since the last time we saw each other." He says in response.

She smiles at him.

"Mother and father will be very pleased. Mother has been distressed over this."

"I am glad that I was able to help her." He says to her.

"Now what is this I heard about you taking on an army of 70,000 and dying?" She says sternly.

He gulps.

"Well, I did take on an army of 70,000, but I didn't die. I only almost died."

She puts her hands on her hips.

"And I heard that you did it in place of that idiot sister of mine."

"I didn't want you and Cattleya to have your youngest sister die. I did it to keep everyone alive."

"You will certainly have to explain this in more detail to me another time. I am very glad to see that my friend is back and alive. "

'Did she just say what I think she said?' He thinks to himself.

Eleonore then starts pulling on his ear.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow." He starts saying from the pain.

"Now don't ever, ever make me worry like that again! I thought you were dead. You are not allowed to die. Do you understand?" She shouts at him.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. I understand."

She lets go and crosses her arms.

"Very good." Eleonore says in a normal tone.

He starts rubbing his ear.

"I have no idea how we are going to repay you for everything that you have done."

"How about you start with just a simple thank you."

"Very well." She says to him.

She looks around the hallway to see if anyone is coming, and doesn't see anyone.

She swiftly gives Saito a hug.

He goes bug-eyed in shock.

"Thank you so Much Saito."

Just then the door opens up and Louise is standing there. She stands there in complete shock as she sees Eleonore hugging Saito. Her jaw drops.

Eleonore lets go of Saito and straightens herself up.

She clears her throat.

"You never did say why you came here Saito."

"Oh yeah." He says.

He pulls out a letter and hands it to Louise.

"This is a summons from the queen. You will be riding back with me to Londinium to see her."

"Really?" All of the sisters say.

He nods.

"We were here to bring her back, but then Cattleya got ill." Eleonore says to him.

"Well, I think that you will at least need to delay that considering that she was summoned by the queen. Besides. . " He starts to say.

He looks at Cattleya.

"I think that you have something better to tell your parents." He finishes.

Cattleya and Saito both smile at each other and then Cattleya gives him a great big hug.

"Thank you so much Saito." Cattleya whispers into his ear.

"We will head off in the morning."

Louise nods.

As Saito walks away, he pauses a moment.

'You know. If I was able to help Cattleya, then maybe I can help Tabitha's mother too.' Saito thinks to himself.

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 **A/N:** Another chapter finished. I hope you liked the new changes in the story line.

I have also updated my Kenichi story to chapter 2


	26. Chapter 26: Sheffield

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

This chapter corresponds with season 3 episode 1.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-six

Sheffield

Saito was startled awake from his reoccurring nightmare. He is flat on his back in his bed.

'Damn not again.'

He looks slightly over to look at Siesta's sleeping figure.

She is snuggled up against him. Her head is resting on his shoulder and she has a leg resting over his. A hand is also clenching his shirt.

'At least I didn't wake her up.'

He shifts some hair out of her face.

'She has been clinging to me ever since we met back up after she spent time with Jessica. She really took it hard when she thought I was dead. She insisted on spending the night with me.'

She rolls over to her other side, and he takes the opportunity to slip out of bed to stretch his legs a moment.

He walks over to the window and looks out.

He thinks about his nightmare and lets out a soft sigh.

'For that matter, I have taken things kind of hard myself. So much happened back there.'

He looks back and Siesta's sleeping figure.

'I can't burden her with this, especially right now.'

He looks back out the window.

'For that matter, I don't want to tell any of them about my nightmare and how I had killed them all.'

He shakes his head back and forth to try to get the image out of his head.

'I love all of them, but I kind of wish Tiffania was here. I could talk to her about it. She really helped me deal with this.'

He starts walking back towards the bed.

'I kind of don't want to go back to sleep, but I probably should. We have a long journey back to Londinium in the morning.

He slowly climbs back into the bed and spoons Siesta. He wraps his arm around her and kisses the back of her neck.

She smiles and gives a little moan in her sleep in reaction.

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"Saitoooooooo." Siesta says softly.

Saito slowly opens his eyes and sees Siesta leaning over him. She is wearing an off-white top and a light brown skirt.

"Good morning dear Saito." She says with her usual smile.

He smiles up at her.

"Good morning to you too. It looks like you slept well."

She shifts her hair out of her face and gives him a good morning kiss.

"Of course I did. I got to sleep next to my dearest. It was really nice waking up next to you." She says back to him.

He takes in a whiff of something good.

"Is that breakfast I smell?"

She nods her head.

"I wanted to make sure that you had a good breakfast before we took off. "Plus, we get to share a meal alone."

"Sounds wonderful." He says as he gives her another kiss.

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Aimee and Guinevere sit on the top of the carriage with Louise, Saito, and Siesta as their passengers. They are on their way from the academy to the Tristan port city.

Inside of the carriage Louise sits on one side and Siesta and Saito sit on the other. Siesta has been latched onto Saito's arm the whole time with a big smile on her face.

Louise looks smug with jealousy and tries to avoid looking at the two.

'I should have treated him better. I still don't understand why he has been doing so much for me and my family. It's not like he owes us anything, but yet he has stuck his neck out on the line for both me and Cattleya.' Louise thinks.

'I wonder if Siesta is like this because of what happened or if she is purposely trying to make Louise jealous.' Saito wonders.

Siesta just smiles and lets out a small, content sigh.

'Hmph.' Louise lets out as she crosses her arms.

The carriage starts to come to a halt near a pond.

Saito pokes his head out the window.

"Is everything okay?" He says to the musketeers.

"Yes. Everything is fine Saito." Aimee says.

"We are just stopping to give the horses a small break." Guinevere adds.

Louise bursts out of the carriage.

"That's fine by me. The air was getting a little stuffy in there anyways." Louise says snottily.

She starts walking off towards a wooded area.

"Where are you going Louise?" Saito asks.

"I am going to stretch my legs for a little bit." Louise retorts.

"Just don't wander off too far. We will be leaving soon and the woods can be dangerous." Aimee says to her.

'Is she jealous? If she is, then it is her own fault. She shouldn't be rude to the guy that's helping her sister though.' Saito thinks to himself.

"Come on Siesta. Let's stretch our legs too." He says and gives her a peck on the cheek.

Siesta nods.

Saito stretches his arms as he walks out of the carriage.

Aimee jumps down from the top.

"Aren't you coming down Guinevere?" Saito asks.

"I am just going to stay up here. I am keeping an eye on this box that the queen had us get." Guinevere says back.

"Understandable. I don't think she would be very happy if something happened to that while under your guard."

Aimee starts looking over the carriage to make sure nothing has gotten loose from the journey.

Saito starts walking around the edges of the pond. Siesta follows along.

"Are you okay Siesta?" He asks.

"I am fine now that you are back."

'I want to ask more, but maybe I shouldn't push the issue. I've got my own demons that I am dealing with. Maybe she is like this because she is worried that I will go away if she doesn't stay close.' He thinks.

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After traveling a short bit, Louise stops and leans her back against a tree.

She leans her head back and lets out a sigh.

'I wish things were different between me and Saito. I wish things wouldn't have ended the way they did. It has made things very awkward between us. Things wouldn't be the way they are if everything wouldn't have occurred the way they did though. I wouldn't have Julio, and Saito is helping Cattleya.'

She puts her hands on her hips.

'And I don't know what kind of a spell he has used on Eleonore, but even she has become calmer after being around him. Except for when she also thought that he was dead. She seemed back to her temperamental self during that period of time.'

She crosses her and closes her eyes for a moment.

'Siesta sure was clingy to him. It was practically suffocating.'

She opens her eyes back open and sees a 3 foot knight doll in front of her.

"A doll? What is that doing here?"

It pulls it's sword out and swings at her.

"She barely manages to dodge the slice.

"What the hell?"

Louise hears giggling in the background. It was very feminine sounding.

"Who's here?" Louise asks.

A cloaked figure appears amongst the trees.

"Hello Louise."

'She knows my name?'

The figure pulls down her hood to reveal a pale woman with long, dark hair and a dark stripe under each eye.

"I am Sheffield. I am the familiar of another void user who has taken a very particular interest in you."

'Another human familiar? Another void user?' Louise thinks.

"What do you want with me?" Louise asks.

"You will find out when I take you back with me." Sheffield says with a devious smile.

Louise goes to point her wand at Sheffield.

Sheffield holds up an index finder and waves it back and forth at Louise.

"Ah, ah, ahhhhhhh. I don't think that you can cast a spell faster than my puppet can strike you down."

Louise looks over and the miniature knight has its sword pointed at her.

Louise looks back over in Sheffield's position and notices that she is also surrounded by a bunch of gargoyles too.

'Is she controlling them?'

Sheffield's forehead is glowing with rune marks and all of the gargoyles have an m like rune glowing on their foreheads.

"I am Myozunitonirum, the mind of god."

'Shit. This is bad, and I was warned not to venture out too far.' Louise thinks.

Louise furrows her eyebrows.

Louise jumps sideways and points her wand at the miniature knight.

"Explosion!" She yells out, and the little knight explodes into pieces.

Sheffield furrows her brows.

"Troublesome little brat. It isn't going to be that easy though. Do you think that you can keep that up with all of these?" Sheffield says as she motions to all of the gargoyles.

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Saito and the others hear an explosion.

"I recognize that sound anywhere. That is one of Louise's explosions." Saito says to the musketeers."

They give him a nod.

"Siesta. You need to stay here. I don't know what is going on, but you are not a combatant." Saito says.

Siesta grabs his arm just as he was about to take off.

He looks back to her.

"It's okay. I promise that I will be back." He says as he gives her a reassuring smile.

Siesta frowns and begrudgingly lets go of him.

'Damn it. This isn't fair. I need to do something about this.' Siesta thinks.

Saito and Aimee run off.

Guinevere stays with Siesta and the carriage, readying her musket.

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As Aimee and Saito approach, they hear another explosion.

'Shit. This isn't good.' Saito thinks.

"Louise!" Saito calls out.

He hears another scream.

"Saitooooo!" They hear Louise call out and hear a number of footsteps coming towards their direction.

Aimee gets down to one knee and readies her rifle.

Louise jumps over some bushes. Her clothes are slightly tattered.

A gargoyle looks like it is about to grab her.

Aimee fires a shot at it and it disappears. She instantly starts reloading.

Saito sees more of those gargoyles coming.

"Lightning. Release your shocking force and branch out. Chain Lightning!"

An arc of lightning shoots out from Derflinger and hits one of the gargoyles. Several more arcs spread out from that gargoyle to the other gargoyles that were also following.

Sheffield grits her teeth as she watches from her flying manta ray.

'More annoying brats.' Sheffield thinks as she throws out a handful of seeds.

Her forehead glows again and the seeds turn into more gargoyles.

Saito creates a handful of golem knights and attacks the gargoyles along with his knights.

Sheffield takes a good hard look at Saito.

'Wasn't he the Gandalfr? When did he get all of this magical power?' Sheffield thinks.

"Explosion!" Louise yells out and a gargoyle explodes.

Aimee takes a shot at Sheffield, but only manages to barely graze Sheffield's cheek.

"Dammit. That boy has made this difficult."

She starts to fly off.

'Master. I am sorry. Acquiring the target is turning out to be more difficult than I expected.' Sheffield thinks to her master.

'That is alright. Break off for now. The pieces are still not all in place yet anyways.' Her master thinks back to her.

"Enjoy your victory. For now." Sheffield says to the group as she flies away on her manta ray.

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Saito, Louise, Siesta, and the two musketeers get off the air ship after it had landed at Rosynth, the port city in Albion.

Friedrich approaches them.

"And here you are, coming through my port again young killjoy." Friedrich says half-jokingly to Saito.

"Now come on. It could be worse."

Friedrich crosses his arms.

"Hmph." Firedrich grumbles out.

He looks around Saito and his gang.

"You I recognize and is for sure on my list." He says and points to Saito.

He then points to the two musketeers.

"As are you two and your package."

He points to Louise.

"You are also on my list."

Then he points to Siesta.

"I have seen you before, but what is your name."

"Siesta." She says sheepishly.

Friedrich looks down at his clipboard.

Flips a page.

Flips another page.

Then flips another page.

Saito watches Friedrich intently.

Saito compares it to watching a bull.

He could see something welling up inside of Friedrich.

Friedrich's nostrils flare and when he exhales through them, Saito could swear he saw smoke come out.

Siesta, noticing Friedrich's mood change, hides behind Saito.

Saito pats her hand and gives her a quick, reassuring smile.

Siesta gets a puzzled look on her face.

Friedrich looks up from his clipboard and glares at Saito.

"Saito Hiraga. She is NOT on my list." He says through gritted teeth.

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face.

"She's not?" Saito says calmly.

Aimee and Guinevere look at each other.

Saito holds up an index finger.

"I knew I forget to give you something."

He pulls out another letter and hands it Friedrich.

"Maybe this will help." Saito says with a very calm face.

Friedrich snatches the paper out of Saito's hand. Then he opens it up and reads it.

He starts grumbling incoherent things under his breath as he marches over to his podium.

He angrily picks up the quill and writes Siesta's name down.

He then jams the quill back into the ink.

He starts waving them off.

"Go! Just go! Get out of here. I don't want to see you. Get out of my face." Friedrich says defeatedly.

After they walk a little bit of distance away, Guinevere stops Saito.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" Guinevere asks.

Saito nods with a huge shitty grin on his face.

First shock comes over everyone. Then they all burst out in laughter.

"I think that you would be dead if you were any other man." Aimee adds.

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After taking a layover in South Gotha, the group makes it to the palace the following morning.

Saito, Louise, and Siesta are in the main room standing in front of Agnes and Henrietta.

Tabitha was Also in the room, standing off to the side.

Cardinal Mazarin had just left the room. He didn't even look Saito or Louise in the eye as he walked out.

Henrietta walks over and gives Louise a hug.

"It is good to see that you are well my childhood friend." Henrietta says to Louise.

"I could say the same of you your highness." Louise says in return.

"How is your family? How is Cattleya doing?" Henrietta asks.

Louise gets an excited look on her face.

"Cattleya is doing wonderfully well." Louise says excitedly.

"Did your family find a cure?"

Louise shakes her head.

"Actually, it is all thanks to Saito. He is helping her out. He didn't actually cure her, but he said that she will be fine as long as if he gives her monthly treatments."

Tabitha and Henrietta stand in shock for a moment.

Henrietta looks over to him.

"You were able to help her?" Henrietta asks.

He nods.

"I wish I could say that I could cure her, but everything that Louise said is true." He says to Henrietta.

"You never cease to amaze me Saito." Henrietta says to him.

"I actually amazed myself too." Saito says in response.

'He was able to help her when no one else could?' Agnes thinks.

Henrietta looks back to Louise.

"I heard about the incident that happened along the way from my musketeers. You have my sincerest apologies."

Louise shakes her head.

"There is no need for you to apologize, your highness. It was not your fault. Luckily Saito and the musketeers were there to help."

Henrietta looks over to Saito.

"I am very thankful for that as well." The queen says.

'There he goes saving the day again.' All of Saito's women think.

"If it is the same woman, then she is also the one that was in charge here in Albion during the war. I will have to have this matter investigated further. If she is after you, then your safety will be a top priority."

"Thank you your highness." Louise says in response.

"Well, you are probably wondering why I brought you here."

Louise nods her head.

Agnes walks over with a small box and Henrietta opens it.

Henrietta pulls out a medal.

"I brought you here to give you this medal of heroism."

"But your highness, I didn't do anything to deserve this." Louise says in retort.

Henrietta shakes her head.

"Yes you did Louise. You were going to take up the rear guard so that everyone, including me, could escape. It was a suicide mission that the Cardinal asked of you without me knowing, but you accepted without any hesitation. Had it not been for Saito, it would have been you out there."

Louise bows her head.

"Thank you your majesty."

Henrietta gives her another hug.

"You are now dismissed. We will have a little celebration later on in your honor." Henrietta says to Louise with a smile.

As Louise starts to walk away, Henrietta quickly continues on.

"As for you, Saito Hiraga, I have something very special for you if you wish to accept it."

She grabs a piece of paper and hands it to him.

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face.

"What is this? I can read most of it, but I am still not 100% sure what this means.

Louise slows her walk down.

"This is a document for you to become a chevalier. One of my knights." Henrietta says with a smile as she notices Louise's slow walk.

'A knight! That would mean that he would no longer be a commoner. He would have noble status.' Louise thinks as she makes it to the door.

Louise exits with a shocked look on her face.

Louise exits into the hallway with Julia, whom closes the door behind them.

"Do I really deserve this? I killed a lot of people. I also might not have survived if it wasn't for Tiffania." Saito says.

Tabitha walks over and nods.

"I would like to meet this person that helped you out. Her helping you out still doesn't change the fact that you did what you did. There are many that you killed, but it is outweighed by the ones that you saved. Not only did you save people from Germania and Tristan, but you also saved thousands of people here as well." Henrietta says

Saito gets a shocked look on his face.

"Had you not done what you did, then the war with Albion could have lasted for months and could have potentially drained the treasury."

"You should accept this Saito. It's something that I cannot give you right now, but she can. It will raise you to a noble status. No one could look down on you as a commoner anymore." Tabitha says to him.

"You deserve it Saito." Agnes adds.

Siesta puts a hand to her mouth.

"You've been planning this all along, haven't you?" Siesta asks.

Henrietta smiles.

"Very well. I accept your majesty." He says with a smile.

"Then kneel Saito De Hiraga."

Saito gets down to one knee.

Henrietta pulls out her sword and touches Saito's shoulders and the top of his head with the sword.

"Now stand Saito, De Chevalier, De Hiraga."

As he stands up Agnes opens the box that Aimee and Guinevere had brought.

Henrietta pulls out the mantle of a chevalier out and proceeds to place it on Saito.

"Then I give this to you. It is the mantle of a Chevalier."

Siesta claps.

"I also have one more thing for you if Siesta accepts." Henrietta says as she looks at Siesta."

Siesta gets a puzzled look on her face and stands tall as she is being addressed by Henrietta.

"Yes your majesty?"

"A noble needs a good maid, does he not?"

Siesta starts to glow with excitement and happiness.

"Would you like to be Saito's personal maid?" Henrietta asks.

'As if she wouldn't.' Tabitha, Henrietta, and Agnes all think.

Siesta vigorously nods.

Henrietta looks over to Saito.

"Do you accept her as your personal maid Saito?"

'As if he wouldn't.' Tabitha, Henrietta, and Agnes all think again.

He nods and Siesta instantly jumps into his arms.

They all share in the joyous moment.

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 **A/N:** Another chapter finished.

Plot explanation – In the anime, Henrietta had to sell many belongings to help pay for the war. Saito and Louise had visited the palace and it was practically empty. It was mentioned that it was an 8 month war. This did not happen in my story because Saito had drastically shortened how long the war lasted.


	27. Chapter 27: Confession

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Sorry for the delay everyone.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-Seven

Confession

"This banquet is in honor of the bravery that Louise De Valliere and Saito De Chevalier De Hiraga showed. Miss Valliere honored her family when she selflessly offered to take up the rear guard so that people from Tristan, Germania, and Albion could flee to safety." Henrietta says.

The audience starts clapping.

Her audience consists of Louise, Saito, Tabitha, and a handful of generals from both Tristan and Germania. Everyone is adorned with their finest garments.

Siesta, some members from the musketeers, and a few other servants were standing along the sidelines as the banquet takes place.

"This young Chevalier. Single-handedly took on an army of 70,000. Through his efforts he not only saved countless lives, but also put an abrupt end to what could have been a long war." Henrietta continued.

The audience claps again.

"Please enjoy this small feast that has been prepared."

A small band of bards starts playing music.

Small talk starts filling the room as people start talking.

Siesta stares happily from the sidelines at Saito.

'Even though I wish I could be there at the table with him, I understand we have to keep formalities for this dinner. I would gladly take this any day though. I am finally with Saito. I don't have to worry about somebody like Count Mott ever trying to take me again.' Siesta reflects.

Saito looks over to Tabitha as she nervously pulls out a book and opens it up.

'What is going on with her? I swear that she got 3 shades paler. She looks as if she is about to hurl at any moment. I can tell that she isn't even reading that book.' Saito thinks to himself.

Saito slowly puts a hand on her shoulder and she practically jumps out of her skin.

She refuses to look at him.

'I've felt worry from her ever since Henrietta gave Louise her medal. What is she scared of?'

"what's wrong Tabitha?" He asks her.

"I'm . . . fine."

"Now I know for sure you are not."

She still doesn't move or look at him.

"Are you sick?" He asks.

She shakes her head.

"Something has you scared." He says softly to her.

She slowly nods.

"We . . . need . . to . . . talk, later." She quietly says to him.

He nods and he puts his arm reassuringly around her shoulder.

"Henrietta. . . . too." The blue haired girl adds.

'Now I'm worried.' He thinks.

After he finishes his meal, he hears footsteps behind him.

"Excuse me, Saito."

Saito turns his head to see Louise.

'Oh damn.' He thinks.

"Can we please talk?" She asks.

He looks back over to Tabitha and puts a hand on her knee.

"Will you be okay for a moment?"

She nods as she continues to stare at her book.

Saito stands up and walks a few feet away with Louise.

She sighs to release her tension.

"I have something I want to say to you."

'Oh boy. What am I in for?' He inwardly worries.

"Please hear me out before you make any judgement or comments." She says to him.

"Okay?" He says.

"I want you to know that I am glad that we aren't together." Louise says.

'Huh?' He thinks in shock.

"I know that sounds weird, but it is true. I am glad that we aren't together. I am just sorry how things went down between us. It ended pretty badly." She adds.

'That's an understatement.' He thinks to himself.

"I am glad because of my sister Cattleya. You probably couldn't help her like the way you are if you were still with me."

'Now I understand.'

"It makes me so happy that I don't even know how to express how happy I am to you."

A couple of nobles walk up to them just as she finishes her sentence.

One of them breaks Louise away and starts boasting to her about how much he regards her family.

The other one introduces himself and congratulates Saito.

After a couple minutes of mindless chatter, an older man with a beard approaches Saito. All of his hair is white and he has small scars on his face and neck. He is quite muscular and has the air of a battle hardened man.

The younger noble excuses himself and walks away when he sees the older one.

"Good evening young Chevalier. I am Jodoc. I am a Tristan general, but my men and I ally ourselves with whomever falls within our ideals." The older man says in a deep, grumbly voice.

They shake hands.

"I normally politely decline most invitations, but you have my curiosity peaked young lad." He says to Saito.

Saito scratches the back of his head.

"Um. Thank you." Saito says in return.

"Ha, Ha, Ha." Jodoc chuckles.

He puts a hand on Saito's shoulder.

"It's a compliment young lad."

Saito relaxes his stance.

Jodoc puts his hands behind his back.

"So. You were neither a member of the army, nor a noble before the battle?"

Saito nods.

"You are able to cast magic."

"Yes, because of my runes."

"So it is true that you are a familiar. How interesting, but that doesn't fully matter to me." Jodoc says as he rubs his chin.

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face.

"It's astounding and inspiring that you were able to survive such an ordeal. I am very impressed. I can't say I have seen very many with your kind of courage and ability."

The two conversing starts getting noticed by others.

"So tell me something, why did you do it? Did you do it for power? For fame?" Jodoc asks Saito.

"Honestly, it was none of the above."

Jodoc raises an eyebrow.

"I just wanted to protect the people I care about."

Jodoc smiles and smacks Saito's back as he gives a chuckle. Saito nearly falls over from the smack.

"Hearing those words shakes the rust off of this old man. I haven't heard romantic words like that in years, and out of one as young as yourself. You have a young body and an old soul."

Saito fully recovers.

"Most of the people now-a-days do not know of such things. I am from another time you might say."

"Join the club." Saito says.

Jodoc chuckles.

"So is that because of your age and how much you have seen?" Saito says to him.

Jodoc nods.

"Ideals have changed over the years in the minds and hearts of man, but you give me hope."

The man gives Saito a long, hard look. His eyes focus into Saito's as if they are searching for something.

"I do have one more question for you though, if I may."

"You may." Saito says in response.

"This was your first major battle, right?"

Saito nods.

His eyes narrow as he looks at Saito.

"Have you felt the weight of war yet? The burden that only those that fight in wars can have."

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face as he tries to understand what Jodoc meant. He looks down at the ground as he tries to think about his words.

'The weight of war? The burden that only they can have?' Saito wonders.

Then it hits Saito like a brick.

His eyes go wide as his nightmare flashes before his eyes.

"You HAVE felt it. I see it." Jodoc says to him.

Saito looks into Jodoc's eyes.

"Good."

"Good?"

"This means that you aren't really a demon like some of the rumors have said about you. If you truly were a demon, then you wouldn't be feeling this burden. Nobody that is a heartless killer has those kinds of feelings."

"Is there something I can do about them?"

"That is not up to me to say. Only you can determine that. You can either accept it, or you can let it consume you."

Saito sighs.

"This is not an easy burden to have, and you may even have to deal with it for the rest of your life."

Saito sighs again.

"I want to know something though. Will you allow me to call you brother?" Jodoc asks as he sticks out his arm.

Saito gives him a slightly puzzled look.

"An alliance?" Saito asks.

"Call it what you will. Whether it be an alliance or a kinship. I am offering it to you, young knight."

Saito starts to stick out his arm.

Jodoc grabs for his forearm instead of a handshake.

Saito returns the gesture.

Many of the other generals look on in shock.

"With this, dear brother, my men and I will stand in arms by your side should the need arise. We will fight and die by the side of another like soul."

Jodoc releases his grip.

Henrietta approaches the two.

Jodoc gives a polite bow to her.

"Hello your highness."

"Good evening Jodoc. It is good to see you. I see that you have become acquainted with Saito."

He gives a nod.

"Yes your highness. He is quite an astonishing young lad and he is a very worthy individual."

"I didn't wish to interrupt you two, but this is a very good melody, and I wanted to take the opportunity to dance with the hero." Henrietta says politely.

Jodoc smiles.

"No need to apologize your majesty. I was just about to leave anyways. I need to give these old bones of mine a rest."

He turns to Saito.

"I hope to see you soon brother. Enjoy the rest of your night." Jodoc says as he walks away.

"Would you mind sharing a dance with me my Chevalier?" Henrietta says very formally.

Saito smiles and bows.

"I would love to, your highness." Saito says in response.

He gently grabs her hand as they walk out to the dance floor.

He takes note of a noble with flushed cheeks trying to hit on one of the musketeers.

He narrows his eyes.

Agnes walks over to the man with crossed arms and glares at him.

She clears her throat.

Saito watches the man put up his hands apologetically and excuses himself.

Saito returns to normal and gives a minor chuckle.

"My. My. Aren't we protective of them, aren't we?" Henrietta softly says.

Saito blushes in embarrassment.

"I guess I've kind of developed a good kinship with them and I treat them like I would my own friends." He says to her.

She smiles.

"I think that they feel the same way about you too." She says to him.

They start to dance.

'It's a good thing that I did have a little practice with Louise when I was her familiar.' Saito thinks as he tries to make sure he doesn't mess up.

"Speaking of kinship, do you realize that you just made an alliance with one of the hardest men to make an alliance with?"

"What? Really?" He responds back with astonishment.

She nods.

"Jodoc and his men make up an army that consists mostly of older men. They are called the brotherhood of the iron fists. There some younger men mixed in, but they are very picky about who they let in. His army, when they were in their prime, was feared by many. They fought ruthlessly when they were called upon. They fought for their ideals and they follow their own code of conduct."

"And he chose to become an ally with me?"

"That's amazing Saito. Barely a chevalier and you are already making good allies."

He blushes.

"Most other nobles give him respect and honor even though he doesn't all prim and proper all of the time. His men aren't quite as apt as they obviously used to be, but they are still well regarded. Their loyalty and their reputation precede them."

"Wow. I never would have expected."

"Good job Saito." She says with a smile.

Guinevere and Aimee have slight blushes on their faces as they watch Saito and Henrietta.

They are both smiling.

"Why are you smiling Guinevere?" Aimee asks very quietly.

Guinevere chuckles.

"I got to kiss him before he even became a Chevalier." Guinevere says proudly.

"No way. When did that happen?"

"He accidently grabbed me and kissed me that first night he came back. He thought that I was someone else."

"I am kind of jealous, but. . . "

"But what?" Guinevere asks in anticipation.

"I was so tired by the end of my shift that I went into his room and laid next to him in only my underwear. When he turned toward me, his face ended up between my boobs."

Guinevere's jaw drops.

Julia walks over to them.

"What is going on over here? You are supposed to be on duty." She whispers at the other two.

"We are sorry we were just talking about the first night that Saito came back." Aimee says.

Julia gets a huge blush.

The other two notice.

"Did something accidently happen between you two too?"

Julia starts nervously touching her index fingers together.

"Oh. You have to spill it Julia." Guinevere says.

Both of them look at Julia.

"We bumped into each other in the hall and he saw my panties."

Their jaws drop.

"You're ruined." Aimee says to Julia teasingly.

"That's not funny." Julia says to Aimee in return.

Henrietta looks at Saito with worry.

"Is Tabitha okay?" She asks him.

"Something seems to be bothering her. She said that she wanted to talk about it later though, with both of us." Saito says back to her.

Henrietta gets worried, but tries to hide it with a smile.

"You should go dance with her now. It sounds like she might need the reassurance and support."

He nods.

Henrietta lets go of him.

"Thank you for the dance your highness." He says as he bows.

"You danced well." She says to him.

"But not as elegant as you." He says in retort.

He walks away from Henrietta to go to Tabitha.

She looks up at him from her book.

'She still doesn't look any better than before.' He thinks.

He extends his hand out.

"How about a dance?" He asks her.

She shakes her head.

"I am not going to take that as an answer."

She glares at him.

'That's kind of scary.' He thinks as he tries not to wane.

"Please Tabitha. Everything is going to be okay."

She puts down her book and slowly extends her hand out to him.

He pulls her gently to the floor and she keeps close to him as they dance.

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Tiffania sits on her porch with her hands folded.

'Ever since he has left, I have done nothing but think about him.'

She looks out into the night sky.

'Saito is so brave, and he has his sword Derflinger to help him.'

A breeze starts to pick up and it blows her hair to the side.

"I wish I had something to help me be strong to help others like Saito and Derflinger do."

A grey and white wolf narrows its eyes as it observes Tiffania from within the forest.

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Agnes and Siesta stand outside of the bedroom while Henrietta, Tabitha and Saito have their discussion.

Agnes is standing on one side of the door and Siesta is on the other.

"Agnes." Siesta says.

"Yes Siesta."

"I want to be more than just Saito's maid. I want to be able to protect him or fight by his side too. You can fight and the others can cast magic. I want to be able to be useful too. I can't stand watching him run off while I get left behind." Siesta says as she looks at the floor.

"That is a tall order that you are asking for. Are you sure about this Siesta?" Agnes asks in concern.

She nods.

"I really want this." She says to Agnes.

"I think that I have an idea that might work out for you if you are willing to try it out. There is an idea that I have been playing around with."

"If you think that it would help do what I want to do, then I will do it."

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Henrietta, Tabitha, and Saito are all sitting on the bed.

"So what is wrong Tabitha?" Saito asks with concern.

"It's about Sheffield." Tabitha says to the other two.

Henrietta and Saito both look at each other and then they look back over to Tabitha.

"What about her?" Henrietta speaks up.

"I have had to deal with her before. She has brought orders to me from my uncle." Tabitha confesses.

Henrietta puts a hand to her mouth.

"Are you positive that this is the same person?" Saito asks.

Tabitha nods.

"I have no doubt that she is the same person."

"If this is true, and she is also the same person that was in charge here in Albion, then your uncle is responsible for what happened here in Albion." Henrietta says.

Saito gets a pissed off look on his face.

"And that battle that I had to fight." Saito says.

Tabitha nods.

"This also means that he is a void user." Henrietta says.

"More than likely, but not necessarily. Louise said that she didn't give the name of who her master is." Saito adds.

"If he is going after Louise, then he may have a new mission for me involving her this time. He has me hostage. I don't want to do any more missions for him, but he holds mymother's cure over my head." Tabitha admits and starts crying.

Saito grabs her shoulders.

"I might be able to help her Tabitha. I had been thinking about this ever since I helped Cattleya. If I can help Cattleya, then maybe I can help your mother too." Saito says to her reassuringly.

Tabitha looks up to him with hope in her eyes.

"Do you really mean that?" Tabitha asks in disbelief.

"There is only one way to find out." He says to her.

"How did you help Cattleya anyways?" Henrietta asks.

Saito gulps.

Saito nervously scratches the back of his head.

"Well . . . . there were several steps to the process, but I first had to kiss her."

They both stare at him.

He holds up his hands in defense.

"I had to kiss so that I my mucus would make contact with hers. This was so that I could figure out what was wrong with her. Then I used healing magic that I gained from becoming the water avatar to repair some of the damage to her body. Unfortunately I have to keep doing this process to her because what she has in incurable. I can only repair the damage that it keeps making."

Tabitha crosses her arms.

"How many people are you going to have to kiss? You kissed the water spirit too to become her avatar." Tabitha asks.

Henrietta crosses her arms and also glares at Saito.

He holds up his hands in defense.

"I didn't exactly have a choice. It was the only way I could do it." He says in defense.

"Mmmhmm." Tabitha and Henrietta both say.

"The good news is that I don't think that I will have to go to the same extent for your mother as I did for Cattleya."

"I really hope that what you're saying is true Saito." Tabitha says with doubt.

"I really hope so too, but I am pretty positive that I can. Water is the strongest of all healing magic." Saito says.

Henrietta nods in agreement.

"One thing is for sure though, we are going to have to get her out of there right away if I am able to cure her. Your uncle wouldn't be able to stand idly by if he finds out that she is cured." Saito says.

"You wouldn't be able to just waltz out of there with her either though." Henrietta adds.

"He surely has people watching the place." Tabitha says.

Saito nods.

"I am working on a plan for this, but we are also going to have to make sure that he also doesn't suspect that Henrietta is involved in any of this. He could turn around and come after her for this." Saito says.

Henrietta looks in amazement at Saito's deduction. She also thinks about some things that she came across here in albion.

"You know, it would make sense if Sheffield is truly involved in all of this. Many officials that we were searching for here in Albion kept winding up dead. I wonder if Sheffield is also assassinating them so that there is no trace of evidence of her and your uncle's involvement." Henrietta says to them.

"That makes a lot of sense." Saito says to Henrietta.

"I will have to investigate this. I need to at least mount up evidence against him, but we need to get your mother out of harm's ways first so that you can't face any retaliation." Henrietta says.

"We also need to eventually find out why he is going after void users.

Henrietta and Saito nod.

"This is big and it is really bad whatever he has schemed. I have to go back to Tristan soon to give Cattleya another treatment. Maybe we can enact a rescue plan after her treatment."

Tabitha nods vigorously.

Saito puts a hand on hers.

"We will get her back Tabitha."

She starts crying tears of joy.

"I would like to meet this Tiffania that helped you out in the meantime. She is here in Albion right?"

"She sure is. She is in Westwood forest." Derflinger says.

Saito gets a nervous look on his face.

"There is one thing that I want to tell you though before we do try to find her." Saito says to them.

"What is that?" Henrietta says.

"She is a half elf."

"What?" Both of the others say.

"She is a half elf, but she is very kind. She isn't a killer or some kind of terrible monster that I noticed. I didn't want to bring her here and be attacked or anything." Saito says in worry.

"We can keep the secret Saito. She did help you out. And it's not like we don't have secrets of our own." Tabitha says.

"I trust your judgement Saito. We can't let others know though. Most everyone probably would react as nicely as we are." Henrietta adds.

Saito sighs.

"Thank you."

"We will have to let the other two know about this as well." Tabitha adds.

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 **A/N:** Another chapter finished.


	28. Chapter 28: New Developments

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-Eight

New Developments

Saito was lying in bed after the long day he had. He on his side and curled up against Tabitha. Siesta was curled up against him.

'Of course it was her duty to make sure that I slept okay.' Saito muses to himself as he gives a smile.

Siesta had already fallen asleep while holding onto Saito from behind.

He wasn't sure if Tabitha was asleep since he couldn't see her face.

'Maybe I can try out my idea now.' He thinks to himself.

He closes his eyes for a moment and tries to focus his thought on Tabitha.

'Tabitha, are you awake?' He tries to think to her.

She turns over to him and starts to open her mouth.

"Ye. . . " She starts to say, but gets interrupted.

Saito shushes her by putting a finger on her lips. He has a gleeful smile on his face.

He focuses again.

'You heard me?' He thinks to her.

She gets a puzzled look on her face, but nods.

'Focus your thoughts on me and then try to think what you want to say to me.'

She focuses on him.

'Can you hear me?' She thinks to him.

He nods.

'This . . . . is weird. How is this possible?' She asks in thought.

'I think that this might be from our bond.' He thinks in response.

'Were you able to do this with Louise?'

He shakes his head.

'Not like this.'

'Odd.'

'I think that is might be because our bond is a lot stronger than the one that I had with Louise. I truly love you instead of the forced relationship that I had with her.'

She smiles and blushes.

He feels warmth from her.

'Interesting. I think I just felt your feeling too.'

He leans in and kisses her.

He gives a smirk in her direction and tries to send something her way.

She blushes and playfully smacks him with her pillow.

He chuckles a little.

Siesta slightly stirs from the commotion, but she doesn't wake up.

'I guess that answers that.'

She turns back over and presses herself against him.

'Maybe another time.' She thinks to him.

He kisses the back of her neck and they intertwine their fingers.

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In the morning, Henrietta and Saito were on a walk around the capital.

Henrietta and Saito were within a couple feet of each other as they walked. A handful of musketeers were around their perimeter, including Agnes and Julia.

"I wanted to bring you around for a walk with me so that I could show you some of the good things that came from your valor." Henrietta says to Saito.

She looks at him and gives him a smile.

"Tell me, what do you see?"

"What I see, are buildings being repaired."

"That is partially right. But look at the people. They are happily taking on the tasks, and these aren't just any people. These are people from both Albion and Tristan." She says to him.

He watches the people intently.

"We were able to take over the country with very little resistance after what you did."

They end up near a small group of men that seem to be working very hard.

Henrietta motions for Agnes.

"Tell them to stop for a moment. I have someone to introduce to them." Henrietta says to her.

Agnes stops the men and the group comes just outside of Henrietta's perimeter. They then bow to the queen.

Henrietta nods towards them.

"Saito, these men are Albion troops that offered their time to help repair the city. These men were a part of the army that you took on. They managed to break away from the mind control because of what you did out there. These men are among the men that you saved."

Saito's eyes go wide.

Henrietta looks ot the group of men.

"Gentlemen, this is the man that helped you break free from your mind control."

"This is him? This is the legendary Saito, the archangel of water, the sword of justice, that we have heard about?" One of the men asks excitedly.

Henrietta nods.

"This is Saito, De Chevalier, De Hiraga." She says to them.

One of them eagerly extends his hand out to Saito.

"Thank you so much for what you have done. We could never thank you enough for what you did for not just us, but thousands of others."

A woman looks up from her duties and glares at Saito after hearing the conversation.

"Really?" Saito asks with a puzzled look on his face.

"He is quite humble your highness." The man says to the queen.

Yes he is. I don't think that it has fully set in how many people he helped out." Henrietta says back to the group as she gives Saito a teasing look.

The men laugh.

"If we may be excused your highness. We have a lot of work to do."

Henrietta nods.

"Thank you again young man."

Saito nods and smiles at the men before they go back to work.

The woman goes to pick up a rock and throw it.

Agnes sees this out of the corner of her eye, and, with lightning speed, she pulls out her hand musket and aims for the woman's head.

"Stop right there!" Agnes hollers out.

The other musketeers draw their swords.

The woman freezes.

"I will blow your head off if you make another move." Agnes yells out furiously at the woman.

The musketeers run up to her, knock the rock out of her hands, and then puts her arms behind her.

"How dare you raise a rock towards the Queen." Agnes says to the woman.

"I wasn't aiming for the Queen, I was going for him!" She shouts out angrily.

Agnes narrows her eyes.

'Me?' Saito thinks.

"Wait." Saito says.

Henrietta nods to them to show her agreement.

"What is it Saito?" Henrietta asks.

Saito walks close to the woman as she glares at him furiously.

"Why did you want to throw that rock at me?" Saito asks.

"You're a murderer!" She yells at him.

Her words sear through Saito, but he tries to keep his cool.

"You killed my husband! I heard how you slaughtered all of the men at the front." She says.

Tears start to stream down her face.

"How could you save all of those others and not my husband's? How could you?"

Some memories of the battle flash before his eyes.

He takes a big gulp.

'This reminds me a lot of my nightmare.' He thinks.

"Yes. I killed many people. I am not happy about that at all. I can tell you that what I did to those men will be forever engrained in my memory. I wish I could have saved everyone, but I just couldn't. I am truly sorry for your loss. I know that saying sorry won't bring him back. Each person that died will be in my memory. I would be willing to do anything I can to help you."

The woman breaks down and kneels on the ground.

Saito walks over to Henrietta and whispers to her.

"Does she still have to be jailed for what she was about to do? Couldn't we just let her go? She was an angry grieving widow."

"Perhaps, just for this one time, we could let her go." She says back to him.

Saito walks over and kneels next to her.

"I know you are grieving. The queen is going to let you go because I asked her. Please don't try to do anything like that again or the captain might follow through with her threat and blow your head off."

The woman nods.

Everything weighs heavily on his mind as they return back to the palace.

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Agnes drives the carriage along the roads near the Westwood forest, which is close to South Gotha.

Saito turns to Tabitha and Siesta.

"You know, something has been bothering me." He says to them.

"What's been bothering you Saito?" Siesta asks with a puzzled look on her face.

He taps a finger on his chin.

"Sheffield said that she was a familiar too."

"That is what was said." Tabitha points out.

"What are you trying to get at Saito?" Siesta asks.

"Could she have gone through what I went through? With the bond."

Tabitha and Siesta both stare at him. Siesta puts a hand up to her mouth in shock of what Saito is implying.

"Can that really make up for everything that she has done though?" Tabitha asks Saito.

He shakes his head.

"I don't know. I just don't know what to think."

He looks out the window.

"Don't get me wrong. I am beyond angry with her if she is the one that caused me to fight that huge army. The things that I had to do because of her will forever be ingrained into my head."

He sighs at the thought.

'It will haunt me more than what any of them will ever know.' He thinks to himself.

"But. Part of me is empathetic towards her if she had to endure what I did. If she wasn't a willing familiar, then who knows how much she went through."

Siesta puts a hand on top of one of his to comfort him.

She starts remembering everything that she saw him go through when he was with Louise, especially what happened right before he broke the bond with her.

"How long as she been a familiar? Does she actually like doing what she is doing? Or could she have been brainwashed into being like this?"

He looks back in to Tabitha and Siesta.

"It is very hard for me to fully believe what you are implying, but you do bring up a very valid possibility. I can never understand what you went through with the bond Saito, but I do know what it is like to be forced to do things that I don't want to do." Tabitha says in response.

"Are you thinking of trying to save her?" Siesta asks bluntly.

He looks at her.

"I don't know if I even could, but I can't help but wonder.

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The group was searching on foot through the forest.

"So, do you remember the route yet?" Agnes asks Saito.

He scratches the back of his head.

"Well, it's kind of hard to say. She was in a lone cabin in the middle of the woods. It's not like I could look at a particular tree and say – Hey! I remember that tree." He says back to Agnes.

She crosses her arms and looks at him in mild annoyance.

"I guess I see your point, even if you are being a little sarcastic."

He gives her a smile and a playful nudge in the side.

Siesta gives a very light chuckle.

He suddenly stops and points.

"Hey. I remember that tree." He says as he points.

She glares at him.

"Now you are doing that to spite me." She says in response.

"Actually, only partially. I do actually remember this area. She brought me here when we she went to grab some herbs.

He starts to walk closer and he sees a figure with a sunhat and blond hair looking around.

The figure hears the rustling and starts to take off.

A grey and white wolf watches intently on the group.

"Wait! Tiffa! It's Saito."

'Tiffa? Are they on that good of terms?' Siesta thinks.

She stops and turns to see where the voice came from.

"Saito?" She says sheepishly.

He starts to come out from some bushes.

When she sees him, she excitedly starts running in his direction. She nearly knocks him over when she gives him a hug.

"You came back like you said you would." She says to him.

"I told you that I would."

The other three come out into the clearing.

She breaks away from him and is about to take off when he grabs her hand.

"It's okay. They are with me Tiffania." He says reassuringly to her.

She looks at them sheepishly.

"I promise it's okay."

"Who are they?"

"This is Agnes, Siesta, and Tabitha."

She looks at all of them.

"You have mentioned these names to me before." She says to him.

He nods.

'These must be three out of the four women that he said are his girlfriends.' She thinks to herself.

'He told her about us?' Agnes thinks to herself. Unsure if she likes that idea or not.

'Does she know about our situation?' Tabitha thinks to him.

'Sort of. It kind of came out in conversation, but she doesn't know the full story.' He thinks back to her.

'Was that wise?' She responds back.

'Well. . . it's a long story. Basically, it was a fair trade of information. She shared her secret with me.'

'Alright.' Tabitha responds unassured.

"You look like you are all a little tired." She says to them.

"We have been looking for a little while for you."

"If you think that it is safe, then maybe we can go back to my cottage." She says to Saito.

"They are safe." He says reassuringly to her.

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Siesta looks in amazement as she watches Tiffania rummage through all of her herbs to make tea.

"I would love to learn about all of these herbs sometime from you."

Tiffania smiles and nods.

The fire from the fireplace warmed up the cottage nicely.

Everyone was sitting around the living area as Tiffania passed out tea to everyone.

"So what made all of you come here?" Tiffania asks.

"Well. Henrietta, the Queen, wanted to meet the person that helped save me." Saito says to her.

"You mean that I would have to go back with you?" Tiffania says nervously as she makes sure that her hat was in place..

"I know that you are scared, but you are safe with these three and the queen." Saito tries to say reassuringly.

Tiffania still looks at him skeptically.

"And I did tell them about your little secret."

She pouts at him.

"I told them ahead of time because I wanted to make sure that you would be safe. I didn't want them to accidentally find out and have everything blow up."

"I guess I understand."

Agnes looks out the window and then back in.

"Excuse me. But it is getting late. May we perhaps impose on you and spend the night here?"

"There isn't much room here, but you can."

She starts looking around to figure out sleeping arrangements.

"I could sleep in the carriage if that helps." Agnes says helpfully.

"You three could sleep on the bed if you comfortable with that and I could sleep in my chair."

"I would hate to impose on you like that again."

"It is okay. If you don't take the bed, then you would have to sleep on the floor."

"I am going to go outside for a little while and check the perimeter. Siesta. Why don't you come join me for a little bit." Agnes says.

Siesta nods.

Siesta and Agnes leave while Saito, Tabitha, and Tiffania stay inside and chit-chat.

'I wonder what Agnes wants with Siesta.' Saito wonders.

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Agnes sits on a log and starts carving a branch with a knife.

It is getting dark, but there is still some daylight out.

Siesta leans against a tree.

"So what do you think of her?" Agnes asks bluntly.

"Other than the fact that she has even bigger breasts than even me, she seems very nice. She doesn't seem like the elves I heard in some of the stories that I have heard."

"I can agree. She has been very hospitable towards us. She seems awful close to Saito though." Agnes says to the maid.

Siesta nods.

"He did call her Tiffa instead of Tiffania. They did spend a couple days with together though." Siesta points out.

"This is true. I still have yet to be sold with her though."

"You wouldn't be in the position you are in if you weren't a skeptic." Siesta says to Agnes.

"Saito seems to trust her though."

Siesta nods in agreement.

"I guess time will tell." Agnes says to Siesta.

Agnes stands up and hands what she carved over to Siesta.

"What is this?"

"It's crude, but it's a dagger that we are going to use for training. I figured that we could do a little bit of training."

Siesta nods.

"I don't see why not, but why not a sword like Saito?"

"I do think that you are strong enough to handle a sword. I have seen how well you carry heavy loads, and the way you were able to hold onto Saito back at the archive. But this will be easier for you to hide and carry."

"Hide?"

Agnes nods.

"Your outward appearance is to be a maid. Your weapons are not to be seen and hidden from plain view." Agnes says to her.

"That sounds interesting." Siesta says as she looks at the make-shift dagger.

"I also want you to work on stealth, but today we are just going to work on this."

"Okay." Siesta says with a smile.

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Siesta returns to the cabin after a short while.

"Everything okay Siesta? You are kind of sweaty." Saito says out of concern.

"Everything is ok. I just got a little bit of a workout while I was out there."

"Where is Agnes?" He asks.

"She is checking out some of the surrounding area before she heads to bed. What have you three been up to?" Siesta says to him.

"These two have actually been talking about wilderness survival."

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As Agnes is walking around, she hears a growl.

'I think that I might have gone a little too far.' She thinks to herself.

She hears laughing in the background.

"Who's out there?" Agnes asks.

"Perhaps I can use you as bait for the other void user I am here for." Sheffield says in the distance.

'Another void user?' Agnes wonders.

Agnes sees a number of sets of red eyes among the trees in the forest.

She slowly draws her sword and her hand musket.

An extremely large, black wolf lunges out at her as she tries to dodge its attack.

She dodges out of the way of most of it, but she gets a good claw mark along her arm.

"Fenrir." She mutters.

'I could really use Saito's help right about now.' She thinks.

Sheffield appears from among the trees and a handful more of the Fenrir wolves also reveal themselves.

"That wasn't too bad, but can you really defend against all them?" Sheffield says to her.

Agnes grits her teeth and stands battle ready.

Another wolf leaps out at her and she quickly shoots it with her musket.

The sound of the shot echoes through the forest and the wolf dissipates.

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Saito stands near the window and looks out.

'It's been a while. I hope Agnes is okay.' Saito wonders.

Just as he thinks that, he hears the sound of musket fire.

Everyone looks at each.

"That's the sound of a musket. I need to go check that out. It could be Agnes." Saito says in a panic.

He grabs Derf and flies out the door but suddenly stops.

"Shit! I don't know where that came from."

Tabitha and Tiffania rush up behind him.

Tabitha starts looking around as well as Saito to try and find out where she could be.

"Maybe I can help out." Tiffania says to them.

"How?" Saito asks.

Tiffania walks down into the grass and kneels.

She clasps her hands together into a praying fashion and starts muttering under her breath.

The wind picks up lightly and all of the plants and trees start swaying.

Saito feels his runes activating.

"What in the world is this?" He whispers to Tabitha.

Tabitha shakes her head.

Tiffania opens her eyes and points into a direction.

"She is that way." Tiffania says.

"Thank you Tiffania. Tabitha, stay here in case this is some kind of trap. I will let you know if I need help."

Tabitha begrudgingly nods.

Saito darts out.

"I wish I could help him out more." Tiffania says aloud.

The grey and white wolf that was watching them narrows its eyes and also takes off running in the same direction as Saito.

Siesta looks torn and keeps looking back and forth between the direction that Saito went and the cottage.

After a few moments she also takes off.

"Siesta! What are you doing?" Tabitha asks.

"It's okay. I learned a couple things from Agnes." Siesta says as she runs off.

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"You are doing better than I expected. You are quite admirable in your skill." Sheffield says to Agnes.

Agnes is barely managing to stay on her feet. She has taken out a half a dozen of the wolves, but she has suffered injuries from simultaneous attacks from them.

Sheffield blows some petals out from her hands and they turn into 5 more of the Fenrir wolves.

They all have an m like rune glowing on their forehead.

Sheffield's runes are also glowing.

One of the wolves lunges at her again.

"Get down Agnes!" Saito shouts out from behind her.

She drops to the ground as Saito runs up from behind her and jumps up.

He slices the wolf in half from its mouth to its tail with Derflinger.

He lands in front of her.

"Am I late?" He says to Agnes.

"I could have handled it." She says in retort.

"You again!" Sheffield shouts angrily at Saito.

'Stay at the cottage Tabitha. Sheffield is here. I don't want her to see you.'

'Oh no! This isn't fair. Please be safe Saito. Is Agnes okay?' Tabitha communicates back to him.

'She is a little wounded, but she is okay.'

'Good.'

"Why are you always interfering with my objectives?"

"Maybe I've got a magnetic personality." He says sarcastically to her.

She grits her teeth.

She pulls out some seeds and throws them at the ground.

The seeds turn into gargoyles.

"This is getting a little harder." He says to Agnes.

"You should have left me." Agnes says in return.

"Now you know I couldn't do that."

"You are just as stubborn as me."

He nods.

Sheffield touches the sides of her head with her hands as she controls both the gargoyles and the Fenrir wolves.

A wolf and a gargoyle rush towards them, but this time gets a sight that he never thought that he would see.

Siesta rushes out from the bushes and slams her wooden dagger into the wolf's neck.

"What the hell?" Saito says aloud as he slams Derf into the belly of the gargoyle.

The wolf and the gargoyle disappear.

Agnes gives a little smirk.

"What are you doing here Siesta?" Saito asks.

"I am not getting left behind anymore." She says in response.

Agnes starts reloading.

A gargoyle grabs Siesta from behind and she yelps.

"Shit!" Saito says as he looks at Siesta.

A wolf lunges at Saito during his distraction.

Agnes doesn't have enough time to get off a shot as she was still in the middle of reloading.

The white and grey wolf leaps from the side and pounces on the Fenrir that was attacking Saito.

It rustles with the Fenrir and the Fenrir disappears.

Agnes finishes reloading and shoots the gargoyle that was holding Siesta.

"Is that one on our side?" Saito asks in regards to the white and grey wolf.

"Well, it didn't attack us." Agnes says in response.

"Good enough for now." Saito says to Agnes.

He conjures up golem knights to attack the gargoyles and the wolves.

"This is not the attention that I was trying to attract." Sheffield says in annoyance.

"May the waters around me be used as weapons to shoot down my enemies. Water cannon!"

Balls of water form around Saito.

He takes aim at Sheffield and fires one at her.

She gets knocked off of her manta ray.

"Why are you doing this Sheffield? Do you want to do this or is it because of the familiar bond?" Saito asks Sheffield.

'The familiar bond?' Sheffield wonders.

"Are you being forced to do this?"

'Forced?' Sheffield also ponders for a brief moment.

Sheffield shakes her head.

"Of course it is because I want to." Sheffield says in response, but her thoughts start to circle around what Saito said.

She gets up and Saito starts to charge at her.

She jumps up to get back onto her manta ray but suffers a gash on her leg from Saito's sword.

She starts to fly away.

"Damn it!" She says as she looks at the gash in her leg.

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'I am sorry again master. I failed in the task of finding the other void user. I ran into trouble with Saito again. There were others as well." Sheffield communicates to Joseph.

Joseph slams his fist on the table where he is at.

'You failed another task I gave you.' Joseph communicates to her as he holds a miniature statue of her.

She flinches at his words.

'Did you at least finish the other tasks I gave to you?' Joseph asks her.

'Yes master. I finished the last of the assassinations of the Albion officials that you wanted performed.'

'Good. Even though the war did not last as long as I wanted, at least they can't leak information out. Now return back here.' He orders her.

She gets a mixed expression on her face as she heads back.

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Saito looks back at the wolf.

"Thank you." He says to the wolf.

It huffs back in return.

Saito looks back to the others.

"I don't know what's up with the wolf but I am glad it was around to help out."

The others nod.

"Let's get back to the cabin. I don't think that she will be coming back tonight." Saito says to them.

Saito reaches out to lend Agnes a hand.

"I am fine." Agnes says in defiance as she starts to limp away.

He puts her arm over his shoulder in defiance against her.

She decides to accept it, but glares at him.

They all start walking back with the wolf trailing along in the distance.

"Siesta?"

"Yes Saito." Siesta says with a smile.

"Where did you learn that?" He asks her

"I am also training with Agnes." She simply says.

"Care to explain Agnes?"

"That is our little secret amongst women."

"Ugh. Women." He says.

"Hmph. Men." She says in retort.

Siesta chuckles a little at the two of them.

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Saito helps Agnes into the chair on the porch deck when they get back to the cabin.

"Ugh." Agnes lets out.

Tabitha and Tiffania rush out to check on them.

Tabitha hugs Saito.

"I am so sorry I couldn't be there." Tabitha tells him.

"It's okay. I think that we are definitely going to have to make sure we get to your mother soon though."

"I will see about getting you some bandages Agnes." Tiffania says to Agnes.

"I will be fine." Agnes says in defiance again.

"You are terrible as an injured person." Saito says to Agnes.

Agnes crosses her arms and pouts.

He turns to Tiffania and smiles

"I will help heal her Tiffania, but thank you." He says to her.

"Oddly enough, we also had some help from this wolf." Siesta says to Tabitha and Tiffania.

Tiffania looks at the wolf and it slowly starts to approach her.

Everyone watches the wolf.

It stops in front of Tiffania and just stares at her.

Unsure of what else to do, she slowly sticks her hand out.

It nuzzles its nose into her hand and then guides her hand to the top of its head.

She pets it and smiles.

"Thank you for helping them." She says to it.

"Do you know this wolf?" Siesta asks.

Tiffania shakes her head.

"This is the first time I've seen it."

"Interesting." Saito says.

It scurries back off into the forest.

"We should get some rest and talk more about this in the morning." Agnes says tiredly.

Tabitha nods and heads back in.

The others follow suit except for Saito and Agnes.

"Are you still planning on sleeping in the carriage?" Saito asks Agnes.

She nods.

"Well at least let me help you get in there and heal up some of your wounds. And no arguments."

She smiles.

"Okay."

He helps her into the carriage and starts healing her.

She starts blushing.

"Thanks for coming to my aid."

He smiles and kisses her.

"Any time partner. Sleep well." He says to her.

She gives him another kiss before settling in.

He leaves her in the carriage and gets in bed with Tabitha and Siesta.

Tiffania watches with minor jealousy as she snuggles into her chair.

'I wonder if I could also become one of his girlfriends. Would they accept me? Would I be okay with that?' Tiffania wonders as she dozes off to sleep.'

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 **A/N:** Another chapter finished.


	29. Chapter 29: Restless Night

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

I cannot believe that I have 50,000 views. I am so amazed with the turnout that my 1st story has received. The number of views and reviews that everyone has given me has been motivating me to keep writing this story.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Twenty-Nine

Restless Night

Saito wakes up in the middle of the night from his nightmare.

He lets out a small sigh.

'Damn. Not again.'

He felt some relief knowing that Siesta and Tabitha were both asleep and alive next to him, but it wasn't enough to wash away the images in his head.

He felt a little clammy.

'I need to get outside.' He thinks as he slowly tries to slither out of bed without disturbing his bedmates.

As he makes a slow trek to get outside on Tiffania's porch, he tries to also creep slowly past Tiffania.

He makes it outside, but not without gaining her attention.

He gets outside and lets out another exasperated sigh as he sits down in one of the chairs on the porch. The cool night air brings him some mild comfort. The two moons offer enough light to stave off complete darkness. He leans his head back in an attempt to relax.

The door starts to open and he whips his head toward the door to see who was coming out.

'Did I wake Tabitha or Siesta? Now would not be a good time to see one of them.'

Tiffania slowly peeks her head out and finds Saito staring right at her.

She gives him a soft smile and comes the rest of the way out.

"Hello Tiffa."

"Hello Saito."

"I hope I didn't wake you."

"It's okay. I am more worried about you. Did you have another nightmare?"

He sighs again and nods.

She could see the sadness in his body language.

She leans over and gives him a hug.

"I am sorry Saito." She says and then lets releases.

He shakes his head.

"It's not your fault." He says to her as she starts to bring a chair over next to him.

"I guess it doesn't help that there was an incident in the morning."

"Oh no. What happened?"

She sits in the chair.

"I was walking with Queen Henrietta around the capital. She introduced me to some people that were saved by my actions, but then there was a woman that we met."

Tiffania leans her head against the chair as she watches and listens to Saito intently.

"She was angry with me because I killed her husband. She said that she heard how I slaughtered the people on the front line. She was sad and angry that I wasn't able to save her husband along with the others that I saved. She called me a murderer. She was in my dream this time instead of the little girl."

Tiffania's eyes start to water.

'I feel terrible that he has to go through this. So much pain.'

He stands up and looks out into the wilderness. Many thoughts and images run through his head from the battle. His mind weighing heavily from the burden.

Tiffani stands up next to him and puts a hand softly on his shoulder. She could feel how tense he was.

"Saito."

"Yeah." He says in return in a strained tone.

"Remember what I told you the last time you were here. You did everything that you could. You might have killed many, but think about how many you saved from their sacrifice. Not only did you save the people from your country, but you also saved people from this country. You need to keep that in mind."

She leans her head on his shoulder from the side as she finished what she was saying.

"Even though I am still struggling with the situation, your words are very comforting Tiffania. I am very grateful that you have been around to talk to."

He shakes his head.

"I . . . . . . . don't feel comfortable enough to talk about this with the others. I don't know how they would react if I told them that I killed them in a dream of mine."

"You don't think you can tell any of them at all?"

He shakes his head again.

"I don't feel comfortable with that idea at all."

"Then I will listen to you until you can tell them. You need someone to talk to, and I don't mind listening. You can't keep this burden all to yourself."

"Thanks Tiffa."

Agnes stirs from her slumber from the conversation outside. She puts her hands on her musket in case it from intruders. She slowly lifts her head up so that she could see out the carriage window.

'Saito and Tiffania?'

She sees her head leaning on him.

'I wish I could make out what they are saying.'

She continues to watch as she sees Tiffania look in his eyes and gives him a big hug.

'What is this all about?' She thinks as she narrows her eyes.

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After giving him a big hug to comfort him she starts heading for the door.

"Don't stay up much longer Saito. You should try to get some more rest."

He nods to her as she heads back inside.

He lets out a big yawn.

The door to the carriage opens up and Agnes walks out.

"Hello Agnes. Are you all right? How are your injuries?"

"I am doing quite well as far as that goes. Thank you for asking. How about you? I am surprised to see you up and about."

"I just . . . . couldn't sleep."

She sits down next to him.

"Do you . . . . . have any regrets or doubts about being with any of us?" She asks with a slight worry in her voice.

"No way."

His response came quickly, and without hesitation.

He clasps her hand and intertwines his fingers with hers.

"I guess I really don't say it enough to everyone, but I can't tell you how much I love all of you."

She blushes.

"I have no regrets over my relationship with you four. I wouldn't trade any of you in for the world, and I would travel to hell and back for any of you. I fought an army of 70,000 just to make sure all of you were safe. The only thing that makes me sad is that I don't get to spend as much time as I would like with Henrietta and you."

Agnes gets a warm feeling in her heart from his words.

Tabitha lets out a small moan in her sleep from the warm feelings he sends her.

'This really makes me feel better. After seeing him with Tiffania, I was starting to get worried about how he felt about us.'

"That has gotten a little better since I have become a chevalier. I really enjoyed spending some time with you that night. Just like I am enjoying my time with you right now." He says to her.

They take a few moments to share in a kiss.

Agnes is the first to speak when they do finally manage to break away from each other.

"I guess I can agree that it is nice to actually have a little alone time with you."

She leans against him and he puts an arm around her.

"This still takes some getting used to. This whole relationship thing." Agnes says with some deviation to him.

"Do you regret it Agnes?"

"Not yet."

"Yikes. If that isn't foreboding."

"I'm sorry . . . I mean . . . .Umm."

He chuckles a little at her stammering.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It was cute to see you stammer like that."

She gives him a punch to the ribs.

He rubs his side from the punch.

"I know what you meant though. You were just being realistic in your wording."

"Hmph."

He gives her a smile, and she smiles back.

They sit there together for a short while just enjoying each other's company.

Eventually, it is Agnes who breaks the silence again.

"Hey Saito?"

"Yeah Agnes."

"You and Tiffania seem really close, but you were only with her a couple of days."

He looks down at the ground from the influx of memories. Everything from why he ended up spending time with her, to all of the conversations that occurred between him and her during his stay, flood his mind.

"She really helped me a lot in my recovery from that battle."

'More than I wish to tell you just yet.' He reflects as he tells Agnes his response.

"And I think that I helped her out too. She needed my help just as much as I needed her help. She had nobody up here. She has been all alone for quite some time, and then she came across me. It seems like I am the first person she has come across that wasn't frightened by her or treated her differently."

"Just for sheer argument, do you think that she could be lying to you?"

He shakes his head.

"No way. She seemed genuinely scared and afraid when I found out she was an elf. I hope that doesn't bother you. I am really grateful to her for helping me out."

'It does bother me, but perhaps I am just being a little possessive. I already have to deal with 3 others trying to get his attention too. Henrietta's feelings are also my concern.' She thinks before giving a reply.

"It is possible that you might have died if it were not for her intervention. So I should be grateful too. I kind of understand her situation though. For the longest time, the only person I had was Henrietta."

He gives her hand a slight squeeze for reassurance.

"I suppose that we should get back to bed. We wouldn't want your other two bedmates waking up and finding that you aren't in bed with them."

He inwardly frowns.

'She is right, but I am looking forward to sleep less and less lately.'

"You are probably right. May I escort you back to the carriage young lady?"

She gives him a smirk.

"I would like that."

They both get up and they link their arms as they walk back to the carriage.

After she lays down in the seat, he kneels down and gives her a light kiss on the lips. Their lips release and he starts to back away.

She grabs his shirt.

'I am not letting him just get away with a kiss like that, especially since I've got him all to myself right now.'

A look of surprise comes across his face.

She pulls him in and she lip-locks him for what seemed like an eternity.

After they release, she still has his face close to hers. Her face is completely flushed. Saito's is also just as flushed.

"Goodnight Saito." She says to him as she releases her grip on him.

"Goodnight to you too."

He leaves her and slowly makes his way back into bed with Tabitha and Siesta.

They both curl up with him instinctively.

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Everyone had entered the carriage and Agnes climbed on top to drive.

Tiffania had one foot on a step.

She stood there looking back at her cabin.

A flood of emotions runs through her as she stares back.

"Everything okay?" Saito asks as he looks at Tiffania's confused face.

She turns her head back to him.

"This will be the first time I am leaving from here. I have lived in this forest my whole life. I've always dreamed of venturing out, but I was always too scared and worried to actually do it. Plus my mother had said that I should stay.

Agnes looks down at her and is the first to speak.

"Perhaps I may be a presumptuous in saying what I am about to say. But we will protect you. You need not fear."

Saito extends his hand out and gives her a reassuring smile.

Tabitha and Siesta also give her a smile and a nod.

Tiffania gently puts her hand in his.

Just as she starts to get in. the group hears something approaching.

Agnes was about to draw her musket, but then sees that it is the wolf that helped them last night. She warily watches it.

The wolf slowly walks up to Tiffa.

She sticks out her hand again and the wolf nuzzles its nose into her hand.

"Do you think came over here because it wants to come along?" Tiffania asks Saito in confusion.

Saito scratches his head.

"I suppose it might be."

"Are you seriously thinking of bringing it along?" A confused Agnes asks.

Tiffania kneels down.

"You should stay here. This is your home."

She stands back up and takes a step into the carriage.

The wolf also takes a step towards the carriage.

"I don't think it is going to take no for an answer." Siesta says to them.

"It helped you." Tabitha adds in.

Agnes sweat drops and puts a hand to her face and replies.

"I guess that there is no other choice then, but it can't come into the palace though."

It smells everyone after it comes into carriage and then it lies down on the floor.

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Along the travel to the capital.

"Well, I guess that answers that question." He says to the others.

"No runes?" simply asked by Tabitha.

Tiffania shakes her head.

"I guess that means that he is not a familiar. And we checked him pretty thoroughly."

"So if the wolf is not a familiar, then what is he? Why is he so attached to Tiffania?" The maid asks.

Saito shrugs.

"I guess I can't argue considering he helped us out in that battle."

Everyone else nods in agreement with Saito.

He sits back against the seat with Tabitha on one side and Siesta on the other.

Tiffania watches them. She watches as Siesta latch on to his arm and gives him a big smile.

'I can see that they all must really love each other.' Are Tiffania's thoughts.

Tabitha has a look of worry across her face. She is staring at the floor.

Saito starts to communicate with Tabitha through their link.

'Are you all right Tabitha?'

'I am just really concerned about my mother, especially with the recent sightings with Sheffield.'

He links his hand with hers and gives her a comforting smile.

'Everything is going to be okay Tabitha. I promise that we are going to go get her after I make a trip to the Valliere residence and give Cattleya her next treatment.'

She looks up to him as tears swell up in her eyes. She has a smile on her face.

'My mother is finally getting help and this will also mean that I will no longer be bound to my uncle.'

He gives her hands a light squeeze.

Tiffania mildly swoons over this.

'He really makes them all so happy. I will definitely have to try to get on their good side if I am going to try to become one of his girlfriends too. My mother was a mistress, so maybe I could become one too. I hope Queen Henrietta is nice. I still haven't met her and she is the fourth one. I hope he lets me become one. I know that I didn't really spend much time with him, but I really like him.'

She feels heat rise to her face as she gets a small blush. She tries to hide the longing look that she is giving him.

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At the palace.

Saito, Tiffania, Siesta, Tabitha and Agnes all bow before the queen.

Henrietta approaches Agnes in concern and puts her hands on Agnes' shoulders.

"It is good to see all of you back, but are you okay Agnes? Your clothes are tattered and I see blood stains."

"I am all right your highness. Saito healed my wounds."

"But how did you get them?"

"There was another attack from Sheffield, but we fought her off through combined efforts."

Henrietta also gives Tabitha a concerned look.

"What about you?"

"I was not part of the confrontation. I stayed behind with Tiffania in her cabin."

"And what about the rest of you?"

"Siesta and I aided Agnes when she got ambushed, but we were unharmed."

Henrietta gives Siesta a puzzled look.

"Siesta?"

She gives a quick nod and a smile in response to Henrietta.

"I have taught her a few techniques your highness." Agnes responds along with a bow.

"Strangely, we also had the aid of a wolf." Saito says to Henrietta.

Henrietta looks to Agnes.

"It is outside of the palace at the moment. It seems oddly attached to Tiffania, but it does not have familiar runes on it." Explains Agnes.

"Interesting." Henrietta says as she walks over to Tiffania.

Tiffania is still wearing her had to conceal her ears.

"My apologies. I am Henrietta, Queen of Tristan, and now this country."

"I am pleased to meet you your highness. Saito and the others explained to me how you took over the country."

"May I please see your face? I would like to see the face of the person who helped save Saito. You do not have to worry. You are among friends here. You do not have to hide your ears."

Tiffania nervously grabs her hat and slowly takes it off and reveals her elf ears. The ears stick out to the side and are a four inches in length.

Henrietta gives her a gentle smile.

"You are not scared or horrified?" Tiffania asks.

Henrietta shakes her head.

"Like I said, you are among friends whether you are an elf or not. You also seem to be very kind. I am sure that you have your own story to tell."

Tiffania gives a smile in relief.

"Actually, your highness, I am only a half-elf. My late mother was an elf, but she was the mistress to the Archduke of Albion. I have been living in the forest because my mother told me to do so."

Shock strikes Henrietta.

'Could she be. . .'

"Forgive me for asking, but how old are you?"

"I am 16."

"That makes you my cousin. Your father is my uncle."

Everyone looks at her in shock.

"Wow, what a small world." Saito says while scratching the back of his head.

Henrietta gives her a hug.

"It is good to meet a new friend and relative."

"Pardon my intrusion, but Sheffield said that she was looking for another void user. Is it possible that you are also a void user? You were able to cast magic." Agnes says.

Tiffania has a flood of emotions come over her as she remembers the incident where her mother died.

She grabs her head and starts shaking it back and forth.

Henrietta grabs her shoulders.

"It's okay Tiffania. It is important but we can discuss this another time. It is obvious that this is drudging up some unfavorable memories."

"Thank you your highness.' She says in return to Henrietta with tears in her eyes.

"You do not need to be so formal with me. We are relatives."

Henrietta looks at everyone.

"I am sure everyone is tired from the journey. How about we have some dinner and relax for the rest of the evening."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 29 of my story.


	30. Chapter 30: Political Relations

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty

Political Relations

After dinner, Henrietta is walking down one of the hallways of the palace with Saito. Agnes keeps in pace a handful of feet away.

"Saito?"

"Yes your highness." He responds back.

'Too bad I have to keep such formalities, but I have no other choice with other ears nearby.' He thinks to himself as they continue walking.

"How would you like being an advisor and a trainer?"

"An advisor?"

She nods her head.

"I would like you to be at some of the meetings and negotiations that I have. I think that you would be a great asset."

"But I don't really know that much."

She shakes her head.

"Don't sell yourself short Saito. You are better than you think. Besides, you are also the one who took on an entire army of 70,000. You have even already started to gain political allies like Jodoc."

"He was an interesting fellow."

"Yes he is. I still think it was amazing that he was the one to approach you. On top of that, you also met many other nobles from both Tristan and Germania. I think that it would be very useful to have you around just for that fact."

She goes up next to his ear and whispers into it.

"This would be good experience before you become a king and we would get to spend more time together."

She backs away and smiles at him.

He turns to her and smiles back.

"Very well your majesty. I accept your offer."

"Would you mind attending one in the morning before you leave?"

"That would be fine."

"Good."

"You also mentioned being a trainer."

"Yes I did. You were actually unofficially acting as one already. The way you handled yourself with the musketeers was wonderful."

"Thank you your highness."

"So I would like you to start with the Ondine knights and some of the other groups at the academy."

"The Ondine knights?"

"They were just formed, and Guiche is the head of them. I know that you are not too fond of him, but you two do actually get along."

He sighs.

"Alright."

She smiles.

"There will be a little surprise waiting for you when you get to the academy."

"A surprise?"

She smiles innocently and nods.

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Saito starts walking out to the balcony from his room.

'Aren't I allowed to get a decent night's sleep?'

As he approaches the balcony he starts to hear music and a woman's voice singing to the music.

"Is that Tiffa?" He whispers as he continues walking.

He hears the voice singing.

"Gandalfr, left hand of god. You courageous shield of god."

He walks out onto his balcony and looks over to see Tiffania sitting down on a bench on a balcony right next to his. She is playing a lyre.

"The right hand of god is Windalfr. You compassionate flute of god."

"You sing beautifully."

She nearly drops the lyre from being startled.

She looks over at him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you Tiffa."

"It's okay. I hope I didn't wake you."

He shakes his head.

"No. I was having some sleeping issues."

She puts a hand to her mouth and sadness marks her facial features.

'Not again.' Are her thoughts.

"Mind if I come over?"

"You may." She says as she pats the bench.

He uses levitation on himself to get him over to the other balcony.

He sits down on the bench and leans back against the railing.

She looks up at the moons.

"Those are at least still familiar to me."

"You don't regret your decision to come, did you?"

She shakes her head.

"Not at all. Up until you came along, I was alone. Four years of being alone. Then you showed up and brought me out of my shell. I am scared because I am out of my element. With you around, I feel a little more at ease."

"I am glad. It's the least I can do. I am like you in a lot of ways. I am an outsider in a world I don't know. It's good to have someone that I can relate to."

"But you seem so strong and knowledgeable."

He scratches the back of his head.

"Well. I think it might be a mixture of going with the flow and winging it. Either way, I am here for you if you have any problems."

"Thank you Saito. You are really nice. I am glad that I met you."

He gives her a smile in return.

"Hey Tiffa?"

"Yes Saito."

He starts rubbing his chin.

"What was that song you were singing? I heard you mention Gandalfr."

"It was a song that my mother used to sing to me. Do you know something about the Gandalfr."

"I was the Gandalfr. A void mage familiar."

She stiffens and then she sighs.

"I'm sorry if it drudges up bad memories Tiffa. If you want we can still wait on the topic."

"It's . . . . . . okay, Saito. I should let you know, and I have been thinking about it ever since it was brought up earlier. At first, I was just using the ancient Elven magic that my mother taught me. But there was a night when my mother and I got attacked. I was so scared. It was then the she realized that I also had the power of the void in me. She said that I had inherited it from her."

'This makes me a little worried though. If this is the case, then there still could be another attack from Sheffield looking for her.' He inwardly worries.

"So you can cast Void magic and ancient magic?"

She nods.

"Was it ancient magic that you used when you helped me find Agnes?"

She gets a puzzled look on her face.

"I think that it might have been, but my mother never taught that to me. It is something that I just somehow learned to do while being out in nature for so long."

'I wonder if she is what they might call a druid from that game called Dungeons and Dragons.' He wonders to himself.

"Well, whatever it may be, I am glad that you were able to do that. You really helped us out back there."

She gets a gleam in her eye and a big smile on her face.

"Really?"

"MmHmm."

"That makes me so happy."

She gives him a huge hug.

'I am so glad that I was useful to him.'

'Wow. That really made her happy for some reason.'

She releases after a moment.

"So have you decided on what you are going to do Tiffa?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I am sure that you would probably stay at the palace with your cousin Henrietta. You would also be protected there. But the academy might not be a bad idea either. You could hone your skills there and learn more about the world. It would also mean that I would be close by in case you needed me. After I take care of a few things, I will be back there with Tabitha and Siesta."

She gets a worried and unsure look on her face.

"I don't know. Maybe. I will talk with her about it. What will you be doing in the meantime?"

"I have to go to a household to help out a sick daughter that only I can help, and then I am going to help Tabitha out with her mother."

"Is it dangerous?"

Saito starts thinking about all of the times he has been around people from the Valliere family.

He scratches his temple and smiles.

"Well, every experience with the Valliere family has been . . . eventful. But it should be fine this time. The latter could be potentially dangerous, but it needs to be done."

"Please be careful Saito. I don't want to have to nurse an unconscious Saito for a day and a half again." She says as she points a finger at him in a playful but scolding manner.

'I would get to be near him if that did happen, but it wouldn't be any fun if he is unconscious.' She muses.

He holds up his hands in defense.

"I will do my best."

'You are quite the ladies' man my avatar. The women you are around seem to be quite smitten with you.' Serena communicates to him.

'What do you mean?'

'Tiffa even seems to be taken in by you.'

'I don't know about that.'

'You shall see.'

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Siesta is helping Saito get dressed for the meeting.

Tabitha is watching while sitting on the bed.

Siesta is buttoning his shirt.

"You seem to be very tired Saito. You really should get more sleep."

"I know." He says in return in a soft and defeated tone.

'You would understand why if I told you.'

"I will prepare Slyphid while you have your meeting." Tabitha says to him.

"That sounds good. I know that you are anxious to get going."

Tabitha nods.

"I will prepare things too. I am your maid after all." Siesta chimes in.

"We should probably spend a night in the port city Rosynth so that Slyphid can rest well before she makes the flight back to Tristan."

They hear a knock on the door and then they hear Agnes' voice.

"Saito, are you ready for the meeting?"

Siesta opens the door for Agnes.

'She looks pretty tired. Was she up all night?' Thinks the dark haired maid.

"Just finished getting him ready." Siesta says to the Captain.

"Good, and this is for you Siesta."

She hands over a rolled up piece of cloth with a strap on it.

Siesta gives it a puzzled look and looks up at Agnes.

She gives Siesta a smile and then whispers into her ear.

"Us girls got to stick together. Keep him safe with this."

Agnes then looks over to Saito.

"Ready?"

He gives Tabitha and Siesta a kiss.

Agnes jealously turns and starts to head out the door when Saito stops her.

"There is one more thing Agnes."

He motions for her to come back in.

She steps back in and he momentarily closes the door.

"What . . . "

Her sentence gets interrupted with his lips being pressed against hers.

After a moment he pulls away.

"Now I am ready."

They smile at each other.

After Agnes and Saito walk away, Siesta unties the strap and unrolls the cloth to reveal a dagger and a garter belt that has a set of flat knives holstered in it.

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"It is good to see you your highness." The Germanian ambassador says as he bows to Henrietta.

Saito and Cardinal Mazarin are also in the room with them. Mazarin keeps some distance between him and Saito.

Agnes is also in the room, but off to the side as guard.

"It is also good to see you. You already know Cardinal Mazarin, but this is Saito, De Chevalier, De Hiraga." Henrietta says to the Ambassador as she motions to Saito.

"Ahhhhhh. So you are the one that I have heard so much about. The man that single-handedly stopped the army of 70,000 and paved the way for Albion's takeover. The man that went from a commoner to a noble practically overnight. Then became acknowledged by Jodoc and his brotherhood. And now you are an advisor to the queen. Well done young Chevalier. My country owes you many thanks for the lives of my fellow countrymen that you have saved by taking on that army."

He walks over and shakes Saito's hand.

He hands over some documents to Henrietta. She sits down and starts looking them over as the ambassador verbally explains what is written.

"Because you are the one that took the country over and because of this young man's actions, my country only makes a minor request. We do not request to have a part of the country, but my country simply wishes to appoint me as an advisor and ambassador for all decisions related to Albion. This would make Albion a neutral place for both of our countries."

Hnerietta looks back up to the Ambassador.

"This would have been a job appointed to General Poitiers, but . . ." He starts to say.

"He is an unfortunate loss and I send my sincerest regards to your country for his loss." Henrietta says to him.

"Thank you your majesty." He says as he bows with respect to the queens words.

"May I have a moment with my advisors?"

"Yes your majesty."

He temporarily walks away.

Henrietta turns to Saito and Mazarin.

"And what do you think of this."

"Even though they did help out Tristan, they could try to turn this against you and use it as a backdoor to try to take over the country."

Henrietta puts a hand on her chin after hearing what Mazarin had to say.

"It is because of their help that you should allow this. He already said that they had no wish to claim the land."

"Because of your actions." Henrietta chimes in.

Saito blushes lightly and continues.

"This could actually work really well in your favor. It could boost the political relations between both countries. As long as if relations can go well in Albion, then that could cause them to be even more willing to lend a hand to Tristan in future times of need."

"But are you willing to spend constant time here your majesty." Mazarin chimes in.

"I do need to get back to Tristan." Henrietta says.

Mazarin smirks.

"Then perhaps you could make a counter request."

She gives Saito a puzzled look.

"What do you mean Saito?"

"What if you also appointed someone as an ambassador from Tristan for this country? You could say that he would have to deal with whomever you choose."

She smiles at him.

"Very intuitive Saito. Especially from someone whom has not been in this kind of position for long.

Mazarin's smirk turns into a frown.

"What do you think Cardinal?"

"I cannot argue with what he said. I just suggest that you take caution with this agreement and with whomever you choose to be your ambassador." Mazarin replies with a slight strain in his voice.

She looks back over to the Ambassador.

"We agree to your request as long as if you agree with a condition of our own."

"And that would be?"

"I will not be the one that you will be working with here. I will also be appointing an ambassador of my own to this country. That person will be the one that you will mainly be working with. If you can accept that condition, then I will gladly accept your request and sign a treaty to make Albion a neutral place for both of our countries."

"I will relay this to my king."

"May both of our countries prosper through our relations."

He bows to her and leaves.

She turns to Saito and Mazarin.

"Thank you both. I will be returning to Tristan soon to choose an ambassador of our own. This will be a difficult task."

"Someone will need to watch over this country when you leave though." Agnes adds.

"What if we ask Jodoc and his Brotherhood of the Iron Fists to keep watch?"

"That sounds like a good idea to me." Agnes says in response.

"I agree with you Agnes, but I will only do this on one condition Saito."

"What is that your highness?"

"That we add your name to the request." She says with a smile.

"I cannot argue with that."

Cardinal Mazarin leaves the room grumbling to himself.

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Saito stares out his windows at an inn in Rosynth.

Tabitha stirs from her slumber and sees him.

'I feel an uneasiness coming from him.'

She slowly gets out of bed and approaches him.

She comes up behind him and starts to wrap her arms around him.

He practically jumps out of his skin, but then he starts to calm down when he realizes it is her.

She lays her head against his back.

'What is wrong Saito? You should be in bed.'

He lets out an exasperated sigh.

'I know I should.'

'I feel a great uneasiness coming from you.'

He tries to hide it from her.

'I will be alright.'

'What is going on with him?' She thinks to herself.

'Are you coming back to bed?'

"Yeah."

They head back to bed and she rests his head against her chest. She starts stroking his hair.

'You need to talk about this with the other Saito. You can't keep hiding this from them. This is starting to become a detriment to you.' Serena communicates to him.

'I know Serena. I just don't know how to do it yet.'

Eventually, they both fall back to sleep.

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The trio can see the academy in the distance while riding Sylphid's back.

Fireworks start going if as they get even closer.

As they come in for a landing they see all of the students at the academy outside and they are all cheering his name.

'Even the kitchen staff is out.' He thinks.

Osmond, Guinevere, Aimee, and Guiche all approach them as they dismount.

"What is all of this?" He asks aloud.

"The queen sent us out to get word to Osmond that you were coming." Aimee says in response.

"So this must be the surprise that she was talking about."

Guinevere nods.

He hears everyone shouting.

'This was a nice greeting that they set up for you Saito.'

'I am very surprised.'

"I had told you that we would have prepared a better greeting for you if we had known." Osmond adds.

"Congratulations Saito. Word has gotten around about what you did." Guiche says to him.

"I believe I also owe you some congrats as well, commander of the Ondine Knights."

"Ahhhh. So my greatness has also reached you." Guiche says very vainly.

"The queen told me." Saito says to Guiche, who isn't even listening to a word he is saying.

A student with orange colored hair and glasses approaches Saito.

"I am Reynald. I am also a member of the Ondine knights. I heard that you will be giving us some training. Please take good care of us."

Saito gives him a nod.

Kirche comes over to Tabitha and gives her a nudge with her elbow.

"Riding in with the hero? You got yourself quite a catch."

After saying that, Kirche leans over and whispers into Tabitha's ear.

"So have you been with him yet?" Kirche says to her teasingly.

She blushes fiercely.

"You haven't, have you?"

Tabitha shakes her head.

Kirche grabs her best friend and hugs her fiercely.

Tabitha blushes.

Louise walks up to Saito.

Everyone that knows their relationship watches intently.

She has her hands clasped in front of her and she smiles at him.

"Congratulations Saito. You deserve this." Louise says with a genuine smile.

"Thank you Louise."

"My parents have already sent a carriage here in anticipation of your arrival. Would you be willing to ride out in the morning to our estate?"

"That would be fine Louise. Siesta will also be traveling with us. She is my personal maid."

"Very well Saito. It is good to see you. Make sure you enjoy this little surprise for you and then have a good night's sleep." Louise says to him.

'A good night's sleep.' He thinks to himself.

"Thanks again Louise, and tomorrow we will ride out."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 30 of my story.


	31. Chapter 31: How To Repay A Debt

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

My apologies for the delay.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-One

How To Repay A Debt

Tabitha finishes writing down a list of items while at her desk at the academy.

'Are you sure you really need these items?' She communicates to him.

He is on a carriage with Siesta and Louise heading to the Valliere estate.

'I am positive. They should hopefully help us get in and out of there without any disturbance.'

'Very well. I will work on this while you are taking care of things there. Please take care.'

'You too Tabitha.'

He turns his head to Louise.

Louise is just staring out the window.

"So how have things been with your father Louise?"

She looks over to him with a little bit of surprise.

'Where did that come from?' She wonders.

"Things have actually been getting better between us over the past couple weeks. He has calmed down from the way he used to be. Since the last time that you met him. I think that it is because he has seen my efforts and that he heard of my improvements with my spellcasting. I also honestly think that it might be because of you too."

He points at himself.

"Me?"

'Why Saito?' Siesta also wonders.

Louise nods.

"I think that you have started to change his view on commoners."

"That's actually kind of shocking."

"You have done some amazing things Saito." She says with a hint of regret in her voice.

"Thank you Louise."

'Maybe I won't have to chew him out now that I know he is changing.' Saito thinks.

Siesta sits smugly next to him.

'Yep. That's my Saito.'

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As Saito, Siesta, and Louise get out of the carriage, they get greeted by several butlers and Eleonore.

"Hello Eleonore. It is good to see you again."

Eleonore repositions her glasses.

"Indeed. It is good to see you too, Saito De Chevalier, De Hiraga. We have been expecting you." She says with a smirk.

He scratches the back of his head.

"Yeah. I became a Chevalier since the last time that I saw you."

"It suits you well Saito."

"Thanks Eleonore."

"I see that you have also brought Siesta with you."

"Yes I have. She is my personal maid."

"Very well. Good for you Saito. It is truly amazing how far you have come in such a short time."

"I am pretty amazed myself."

"I will be escorting you to Cattleya's chambers."

He nods.

She looks over to one of the butlers.

"You will escort Siesta to where she needs to be."

The man bows.

Eleonore then turns to Siesta.

"Siesta."

Siesta curtseys and follows the butler.

Louise walks off with a couple of the other butlers.

Eleonore and Saito start making the walk towards Cattleya's chambers.

"So how has your sister been, Eleonore?"

"She has been exceptionally well. Thanks to what you did for her. She has still had some off moments, but they have been nothing like what they had been before what you did."

'Nothing less should have been expected.' Serena chimes in to Saito.

'Well aren't you the modest one?'

'Just being truthful. We both know what you did.'

'Unfortunately, Serena, they can't actually see what we did.'

'Very unfortunate.'

"I am glad that has been doing better. I was really worried about when I realized how bad things really were for her. She worked hard to hide how much suffering she was going through." Saito admits to Eleonore.

Eleonore sighs.

"We are all grateful to you. You have no idea how much stress the family was going through because of her illness. Not only was there the stress, but I cannot even begin to tell you how much my family has spent trying to cure her."

"Then I am really glad that I was able to help your family out. You don't have to search anymore."

"Our family is truly indebted to you Saito."

"Well it's not like I am charging you or anything like that."

She stops walking and smiles at him.

He stops walking.

"Is something wrong Eleonore?"

She shakes her head.

"I really like that about you Saito, but you don't understand how debts work for nobles. Debts are a big thing for nobles. You may not feel that way, but it never the less is a debt. It is important to always repay a debt."

"But I am not really looking for anything."

She shakes her head.

"That is beside the point, and what you are doing for our family is a big thing. A simple hug is not going to repay the debt. I just wanted to let you know that."

"It still doesn't really matter that much to me. It is just something I wanted to do."

"I appreciate that sentiment. We get a lot of people doing stuff for our family only because they wish to gain something out of it. My father still finds that you aren't doing this to gain something hard to believe."

They start walking again.

"You know, you have been quite the talk around here because of what you have been doing. Cattleya has been talking about you a lot too."

"I am sure she is really happy to be getting some relief from her illness."

They arrive at Cattleya's door.

Eleonore knocks on it.

"I am here with Saito dear sister."

"You may come in." Cattleya says from the other side of the door.

As they enter in, Saito sees her huge room. Everything was very elegant.

Her bed had 4 finely designed bed posts supporting an equally designed overhang.

Cattleya was sitting in a chair next to a table that she had in the room.

The room had a nice glow to it from all of the sunshine bathing the room from the window.

She gets up from the table and walks over to the two of them.

"Hello Saito. It is good to see you. Congratulations on becoming a chevalier. You deserve it."

"Thank you Cattleya. Eleonore told me that you have been doing quite well since your last treatment."

She nods and smiles happily.

"I have had some moments, but I haven't felt this good in a long time."

She hugs him.

"Well, I will leave you two be. I leave my sister in your care Saito." Eleonore says to him without any worry or hesitation.

After Eleonore leaves, Cattleya grabs his hands.

"It is so good to see you. I can't even tell you how happy I have been because of you Saito."

"It makes me feel good to see you doing so well Cattleya."

"I suppose we should get started."

He nods.

'Serena. Am I supposed to do the same things that I did last time?'

'Yes. Even the kissing.'

"So, should I lie in bed again?"

'That would be best. She could still end up feeling pain as you repair the damage.' Serena communicates to him.

He nods to Cattleya.

"My, my, Saito. You've barely been here and you are already trying to get me in bed again." She says teasingly to him as she walks towards her bed."

His face gets beat red.

"But . . . I . . . Er."

She uses a hand to hind a chuckle.

"It's okay Saito. I was just teasing you again."

He sighs.

"You like picking on me."

"It amuses me to see how flustered you get when I do it."

She lays down on the bed.

He sits on the edge of the bed next to her.

"I am sorry that I have to keep steeling kisses from you."

She shakes her head.

"If that is all I have to go through an order to feel better, then I cannot argue. Besides, who wouldn't mind being kissed by their hero?"

He gets a startled look on his face and blushes.

"Hero?" He repeats back.

She wraps her arms around his neck and slowly pulls him in. She has a light blush on her face.

"Yes. My hero."

She kisses him.

'Activate your powers Saito.' Serena reminds him.

'Oh. Yeah. She caught me off guard.'

His eyes turn dark blue, and he starts figuring out what is wrong inside of her just like last time.

After a few moments he backs away, and she sits up.

'Saito, there is very little new damage. Almost nothing we did reverted back.'

'That is great news.'

"There is a glass on the table over there for you to fill."

"Thank you."

He gets off of the bed and gets the glass on the table. He fills it up as he walks back to the bad. He hands it to her.

"Drink it all up again."

She nods her head.

After a few tries, she manages to swallow it all down.

She unbuttons her blouse, revealing an enticing amount of cleavage and her bare stomach.

Saito blushes from the view.

She then lies back in her bed.

"I want to remind you that you may experience some pain during this. Just like you did last time."

"I understand Saito. Do what you need to do." She tells him reassuringly.

'Now do as you did last time Saito. Use the water that you made to repair her body.' Serena instructs.

He puts a hand on her chest and on her stomach.

As he starts the healing process, his arms turn into a blue gel-like substance.

He focuses on repairing the damaged tissue in her body.

As the process progresses on, he starts sweating.

Every so often Cattleya feels a jolt of pain, but they aren't as powerful as the ones from last time.

His brows furrow from the strain.

"Don't overdo it again Saito. You need your strength too."

After being scolded by Cattleya, Serena also gets on his case.

'Remember. Last time you fell over from being week.'

'Okay. I get the point.'

He releases and just sits there for a moment.

She sits up and hugs him and holds onto him 'til it seems like he regained himself.

"Thank you Saito."

They get off of the bed and start walking toward the door. After fixing her blouse, Cattleya opens the door and Eleonore is standing there.

"Father wishes to speak with you sister. Saito, do you have enough strength for a walk around our estate?"

"Ummm. . . Sure."

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After walking the estate and also being shone their army, Eleonore brings him to a balcony.

They walk onto the balcony and Saito sees a round table with everyone from the Valliere family sitting at it. Siesta and a few of the other butlers and maids were standing off to the side.

'Am I about to get lynched?' He asks himself.

"Please join us." Karin says politely to him.

He sits down with Siesta tending to him.

Karin and the duke are sitting on the other side with Louise sitting next to her father. Cattleya is sitting next to Louise. Cattleya sits elegantly on his right side and Eleonore takes a seat on his left.

Another maid comes over and pours some tea into his cup.

Duke Valliere motions for a butler.

The butler walks over and bends down to listen to the duke.

"Please bring me some wine." The duke says to the butler with a sense of urgency.

Karin gives her husband a sideways glare while she sips her tea and smiles.

'What the hell is going on?' Saito and Siesta both ask themselves.

The butler leaves and swiftly comes back and pours the duke a glass.

Everyone sits there drinking their drinks.

To break the silence, Karin decides to speak up.

"So Saito, you became a chevalier."

He nods.

"Yes I did. The Queen offered it to me after I came back alive from the battle in Albion."

"Thank you very much for keeping our youngest daughter out of that."

"She wasn't the only one I was trying to protect, but you are very welcome."

"Even if that is so, you still saved her from being in that battle."

Louise sits quiet during this.

"He also helped rescue her when she got stranded in enemy territory." Eleonore chimes in.

"That was with Julio's help." Saito's in response.

Louise's mother chimes in again.

"But you still helped out."

The duke motions for the butler to pour another glass of wine for him.

Karin gives him a brief look of annoyance, but then she quickly continues on.

"You have had quite the influence on my eldest as well. She speaks very highly of you Saito. It seems like you two have gotten along well."

Both Saito and Eleonore blush at that remark.

"And now you are helping out Cattleya where so many others have failed. My husband I cannot express enough how grateful we are for treating her ailment. You brought hope where hope was being lost for her."

Karin starts to tear up as she thinks about the fact that she was going to lose one of her children. She quickly recovers from this brief moment.

Duke Valliere was about to motion for another drink, but Karin kicks him in the shin. She did this while smiling.

He grumbles briefly.

"Alright already." He says under his breath.

"Saito. Your actions have caused me to rethink a great many things, and my wife and I have had many discussions concerning you."

'Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Where is this leading to?'

'What is going on with father?' Eleonore and Louise both think.

"You, a peasant, a commoner, a familiar, rose up to become a chevalier. You were a person with no obligations that did things that many nobles with obligations wouldn't even try. You took on an army of 70,000 and you weren't even part of the military."

'Is he really praising me?'

"You have done so many things to aid my family without any hesitation. You did this despite everything that happened between you and my youngest. What you have done for Cattleya has been a miracle. I have never seen her so happy or full of life for quite some time"

Eleonore sits there in minor shock as she listens to her father speak to Saito.

He pauses a moment before speaking again.  
Karin gives his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Saito takes a drink of his tea

"In an effort to repay our debt to you and to show our gratitude for what you are doing for Cattleya, we are offering her hand in marriage to you."

Saito nearly spits his drink out, but he manages to hold it in.

Louise and Eleonore look in shock.

Cattleya elegantly sits there.

"Huh?" Saito says in bewilderment.

"After your treatment with her today, I had a long discussion with her. She was the one that volunteered to do this. If you accept this, then you would eventually get access to everything that Eleonore showed you today."

Cattleya looks at him with earnest.

Eleonore just sits there in awe.

'Is he serious?' She thinks.

"What do you say to this Saito?" The duke asks calmly.

Saito holds up his hands, and then starts to speak.

"I am sorry, but I cannot accept. . . . ."

"Are you saying that she isn't good enough for you?" The head of the Valliere household says in annoyance.

"That's not what . . . "

"Fine. Then what about Eleonore's hand? You two HAVE gotten close, and her personality has even calmed down since she has been interacting with you." The Duke says in a raised tone.

Everyone's head turns toward Duke Valliere at his proposition.

"Father!" Eleonore calls out.

Saito and Eleonore both stop and look at each other. Both of their faces turn bright red.

Eleonore crosses her arms and turns her head away from Saito.

"I think that we have a slight mis- . . . " Saito tries to say.

"If you don't want either of them, then what is it you want? Money? Power?"

Saito turns his head to look at the duke.

Everyone starts talking and yelling all at once all at once.

'All this just from helping someone?' Serena asks in minor amusement.

Saito sighs as he listens to everyone.

'Shit. This went way out of proportion.'

He stands up and crosses his arms in the shape of a T.

"Hold up!. . .Hold up!. . . . Everyone calm down please!"

Everyone stops and stares at Saito.

He holds up his hands in defense.

"Let's take a moment to calm down and then I will explain myself."

"Very well." Duke Valliere manages to grumble out.

Everyone decides to sit and try to calm down.

After drinking his tea down, Saito decides to speak up.

'What is Saito going to do? He can't let out what our group has planned. They would find out about Henrietta.' Siesta thinks to herself as she still stands off to the side.

"Mr. Valliere. I am really flattered by your offer. Your wife bore 3 very beautiful daughters."

All of the sisters look at him in surprise.

Karin gets a very proud smile on her face from his compliment.

'Did he really just say that about me?' Eleonore wonders.

"Cattleya is beautiful, calm, and very motherly. She would definitely make a fine mother someday. Marrying her would certainly be an honor."

She blushes at hearing that.

"Eleonore is also beautiful. She is a good teacher, and strong willed. If circumstances were different, I wouldn't mind marrying her either."

Eleonore gets quiet and blushes.

"Louise is also beautiful in her own right. She too, is strong willed. I am sure she will become a good wife someday."

She also sits there blushing at what he said.

"But I cannot accept your offer because I have other plans for marriage."

'There is no way I could marry either of them because I am going to be marrying Henrietta and Tabitha.'

Cattleya slumps her shoulders with his declaration.

Siesta inwardly swoons with how well he handled the situation.

'I kind of figured he was going to say that.' Eleonore thinks to herself.

The Duke sits there without saying a word.

'I want to scold him for not accepting my offer. I don't give out these of proposals to just anybody, but he did decline very respectfully. How am I going to repay my debt to him?'

After wiping some sweat from his forehead, Saito speaks up again.

"If I may be excused? I am sure we both have other matters that we have to tend to, and I don't wish to hold you up any longer. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Very well. You may be excused."

"May I escort him out father?" Cattleya asks.

"He gives her a nod."

Cattleya, Saito, and Siesta make their way out to the front of the household.

Cattleya links her arms with his.

He blushes lightly.

"It is a shame that you didn't accept the offer. I wouldn't have minded marrying you, but I understand if you have other prospects."

She leans her head on his shoulder for a moment.

"I am very grateful for everything that you are doing for me Saito."

He touches her hand with his.

"It is no problem. I am glad to see that you are getting better. I just wish I could have been able to do something more permanent."

A couple of butlers open the doors to the outside.

She gives him a hug.

"Our carriage will take you back to the academy."

He nods.

Just as Cattleya enters back into the house and the doors shut, Karin floats down in front of him.

"Is something the matter?" He asks her.

"Nothing is the matter per se, but I do have something I wish to discuss with you."

"What is that?"

"We owe you a great debt. My husband and I cannot just blow this off or forget about it. Are you sure there is nothing we can do for you?"

Saito thinks for a moment, and then comes up with a response.

"There is something that you can do for me."

"What is that young Chevalier?"

"I was wondering if you would be willing to harbor an extra guest here for a short while and keep her safe."

She gets a puzzled look on her face.

"You are a very selfless individual Saito. You aren't even asking for something just for yourself. Who may I ask would we be harboring?"

"Tabitha De Orleans' mother."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 31 of my story.

My other story (Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple) has been updated to chapter 4.


	32. Chapter 32: You Jest

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-Two

You Jest

Saito drives a wagon through some roads in Galia.

'I am sorry I couldn't come to the lake Serena.'

'I understand this time, but you WILL make it up to me.'

'I promise.'

The wagon has 2 large wooden crates on it. The crates are big enough to fit a person in each of them laying down.

Saito is dressed up in a court jester's outfit with bright shades of blue, yellow and purple. Jingly bells hang from various portions of his hat and outfit.

Siesta is sitting next to him.

She is dressed like a ringleader. She is sporting a black tuxedo like outfit with a top-hat. Her face is painted pure white with a couple of purple streaks in it.

Tabitha is in her usual school uniform, and she flying above Saito on Sylphid.

'So why did you want two crates?' Tabitha asks him telepathically.

'The other one is for the butler. You said that he is safe.'

'Peruculan, he has been by her side since even before the poisoning.'

'So I figured that we mind as well get him out of there too.'

Tabitha nods.

'By the way, do you realize how ridiculous you look in that outfit?'

'Believe me, I do. But it is necessary. This way it looks like you are desperately trying to do anything you can for your mother. We look like a bunch of performers so that we can fool any spies that are lurking around in the surrounding area. We take the crates in with us as if they had our props in them. We can go in there. Do what we need to do, and then sneak her and the butler out in those crates. '

'I am starting to wonder who is crazier, you or my uncle.'

'Awwwww. Now that's not fair.'

'Joking.'

'I will have to get you back for that.'

Tabitha giggles.

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Tiffania and Henrietta share tea on the balcony of the palace in Albion.

Agnes stands guard nearby on the balcony.

Tiffania is staring out at the sky.

"Is everything okay my cousin?"

"I'm sorry Henrietta. My mind is just wandering."

"You can tell me if something is wrong."

Tiffania shakes her head.

"Everything is okay. I was just thinking about Saito and what he is up to right now."

Agnes' ears perk up at the mention of Saito.

"You have taken kindly to him, haven't you?"

She nods.

"He helped me, just as much as I helped him. He was so kind to me, and he didn't even care that I was an elf or even a half elf. He was the first one after all of this time. He is also very brave. He goes out of his way to protect everyone. He fought 70,000 just to make sure that you two, Siesta, and Tabitha were all safe. He protected me in the forest when he heard some men nearby. He is very kind."

'I guess this confirms what Agnes told me she saw.' Henrietta thinks.

"He is quite the selfless individual." Henrietta admits.

Agnes gives a nod in agreement.

"Then he also got me out of my shell in the forest. Don't get me wrong. I loved that cottage that I was in, but it was very lonely there and he got me out."

"He can have that effect on people."

'I hope she's not falling for him too.' Agnes thinks to herself.

"I am glad that he got you to come out of your shell too though."

"Why is that?" Tiffania asks in response to Henrietta's remark.

"I wouldn't have been able to meet you if he didn't."

Tiffania smiles.

"Thank you Henrietta."

"I am sure he is okay. He is quite a resourceful man. We will be heading back to Tristan soon. I am going to have to find someone to appoint to be here in Albion as my representative."

"I think that I would like to attend the academy, like Saito suggested. It would be a good experience for me and I could learn to use my magic a little better."

"I think that we could arrange that for you. Are you sure that is what you want to do?"

Tiffania nods.

"I can't waste the opportunity that Saito helped give me. I should be courageous just like him."

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Saito passes under an arch at the front of the estate that has the family crest on it.

The path to the mansion is laid in finely positioned bricks.

Riding up the path, Saito gets a clear view of the mansion. It is a c shaped mansion that is three stories tall with a large peaking rooftop that is probably a floor in itself.

Saito is struck with awe as he looks at the home.

The doors to the mansion open up and reveal an older man in a tuxedo styled outfit. The outfit is accented by the red and gold vest that he is wearing along with a large bow tie. He has white hair and a mustache to go with it. He is wearing spectacles.

Tabitha has Sylphid land next to the wagon and gets off.

"Hello lady Tabitha. It is good to see you again." He says with a bow.

She nods.

"What may I ask is all of this?"

"Entertainment for mother."

"Are you sure that is wise."

"I wish to try anything for her at this point."

He bows again.

"Very well. How may I assist you?"

"Prop the doors open so that we may get their props and equipment inside." She says to the butler.

As he props the doors open, Tabitha waves her staff and uses levitation on the crates to bring them inside.

Siesta follows inside while tapping the bottom of her black entertainers cane on the ground as she walks. She stands up tall and proper.

'She seems to be doing quite well with her role. I guess doing all of those plays at the Enchanted Fairy are helping her out here.' Saito muses as he skips around.

His outrageous movements and constant jingling almost make Siesta lose character, but she continues on.

Saito carefully eyes up some of the other maids as they walk into the main area.

'We need them out of the way if we are going to get him in on the plan.' Saito communicates to Tabitha.

Tabitha looks at Saito and Siesta.

"Please wait here."

They bow to Tabitha.

"Come with me Peruculan. I wish to hear an update on my mother's condition before we continue."

He bows to her.

Tabitha walks into another room with Peruculan.

After Tabitha exits, Saito starts hopping around the room to keep up his appearance. He gets by one of the maids and starts acting like a mime and pretends to climb an invisible ladder.

The maid giggles.

Siesta clears her throat.

Saito looks back at her and she motions to the floor next to her with her cane while glaring at him.

He makes an exaggerated slump of his head and shoulders as he walks over to the spot.

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In the nearby room Peruculan starts to give his report to Tabitha when she holds up a finger to her mouth in a shushing motion.

She walks up next to him and whispers very softly.

"We might be save my mother. We are going to get you and her out of here in those crates."

He gets an extremely shocked look on his face.

"Are you sure you are going to be able to get her back to normal?"

She nods.

"That jester out there seems to think he can."

"That is great news. What do you need me to do?"

"Get those other maids out of the way. Send them off to do something."

He nods.

They exit back into that main area.

Tabitha makes a glum face as they walk out of the room.

Peruculan walks over to the other maids.

"Please go to the kitchen and help out with preparations for lunch. We will have two extra guests and we do not want to disappoint."

The two maids bow and walk away without even batting an eye.

He turns back to Tabitha and nods.

"Bring a glass of water." She says to him.

He quickly rushes off and then comes back with a glass of water.

She opens a very small potion bottle and pours it into the glass.

"Give this to her."

"Is this the cure?"

She shakes her head.

"Sleeping potion. He will help her after she falls asleep."

He walks up the stairs and knocks on a door.

"Who is it?" Comes a voice from the other side of the door in an abrupt mannor..

The voice was female, but the voice sounded crazed and scared.

"It is I Peruculan, your butler."

"Is it just you? That mean Tabitha isn't here again is she?"

"No milady. It is just me."

"Then . . . come in. . quickly."

He opens the door and starts to walk in with the water and shuts the door behind him.

Saito, Siesta, and Tabitha quickly get everything together outside of the bedroom.

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Peruculan walks in with the water and shuts the door behind him.

Tabitha's mother is sitting up in bed. Her blue hair is disheveled and her pajamas are also in about the same shape. She is pale and seems rather thin with dark circles under eyes. She clutches a small doll in her arms. Her facial expressions show paranoia.

"What do you want?" She says quickly and abruptly to him.

"Water for you."

"I see that. Just put it down and get out."

He places it down on the table next to her bed and gives her a bow before leaving.

She looks at the doll that she has been clinging to.

"It's okay Charlotte. No one is going to hurt you." She says to the doll as if it were a real person.

She grabs the glass and drinks some of it.

He exits out and sees the gang there.

"We wait for the potion to work." Tabitha says to the butler.

After a minute Peruculan peeks into the room and sees that Tabitha's mom is fast asleep.

He nods to the others.

They all go inside the room.

The crates barely manage to fit through the doorway.

Peruculan stays near the entrance next to a night-stand.

'Kill the sound just in case she wakes up.' He communicates to Tabitha.

With the wave of her staff, the room goes completely silent.

Saito hands his jester cap to Siesta.

Siesta and Tabitha watch intently at Saito as he sits on the side of the bed.

'All right Saito. You will need to analyze her just like you did with Cattleya. We need to know exactly what they did to her.'

'Sorry Tabitha. I have to kiss your mom.'

'I understand.' Is her response.

He scratches the back of his head.

'This is kind of weird. I am going to be kissing my girlfriend's mom.'

Those were his last thoughts before bending over her and kissing her.

His eyes turn dark blue as he looks into what is going on inside of her.

After he finishes, he slowly pulls away.

'Something is wrong my avatar.'

'What is that?'

'It's about the traces of poison in the system.'

'What about it?'

'The poison in her system is fresh. It was given to her recently.'

He gets a surprised look on his face.

'So wait. You mean to tell me that they have been continually poisoning her to keep her like this.'

'Yes.'

'The main person close enough to her to keep her like this is . . . '

He snaps his head around to see Peruculan pointing a hand musket at Tabitha's mother.

Saito jumps in the way as the butler fires the musket.

The round imbeds itself into his left shoulder, jarring ham backwards.

Siesta pulls one of the knives that Agnes made her out of the cuff of her sleeve and throws it at the butler. It hits him in his arm and he drops the hand musket.

After drawing out Derflinger, Saito stabs the butler. Blood starts flowing out of both his wound and the butler's wound. They both fall to the floor.

Not a single sound was heard because of the silence spell Tabitha put on the room.

Saito grits his teeth and starts breathing heavily as he looks at his wound.

'Damn does that hurt!'

'My avatar, I can help you with your wound but you are going to have to calm yourself and steady your breathing.'

'Easier said than done.'

After taking a good look at the man she just hurt, Siesta rushes over to Saito along with Tabitha.

'We need to get you healed Saito. I will release the silence spell.'

Tabitha starts to raise her staff to release the spell.

'Wait. Don't. Let me lie here a moment. The water spirit says that she can help me. Plus we can't waste this moment.'

Siesta looks anxious and is about to help Saito but Tabitha pulls her away.

Siesta starts yelling at her, but nothing is heard.

Tabitha puts her hands reassuringly on Siesta's shoulders.

Siesta sighs and tries to hold herself back from jumping next to his side.

Saito lies down on the floor and tries to focus on breathing only, and not the injury.

'Very good Saito. I want you to imagine your body being transformed into water. Just like how I look like a human in shape, but I am a body of water. You were already starting to do this with each of your treatments with Cattleya.'

He starts focusing more and more on what she told him to do.

His clothes and his body start turning to water. It starts off with his fingers and toes, but then it starts to make its way up to his arms and his legs. This continues until his whole body looks like a mass of water.

'Very good my avatar. Now release the musket round that made its way into your shoulder.'

Siesta and Tabitha watch this in awe.

The musket round becomes visible to Siesta and Tabitha and it slowly slides down and out of his shoulder.

'Wow did that feel weird.'

He stands up in his new form.

'This will definitely take some getting used to, Serena.'

'What the heck just happened Saito?'

'Your mother wasn't just poisoned once. Peruculan had been keeping her poisoned this whole time. So he was going to kill her when he found out that we were going to cure her.'

Shock and anger fill her emotions.

'How could I have missed it?'

'Why would you have suspected? You said that he had been around since before the poisoning.'

He sits back on the bed.

'Gotta finish what I started.'

'I am glad you were able to do that. I wasn't sure if you were strong enough for the full form just yet.'

'I take that as a compliment.'

'Yes, but now for the next step, purging.'

'Is this going to get messy?'

'Yes.'

'Oh boy. Well here goes.'

He puts his hands over her and begins the process.

After a few moments she abruptly sits up.

His form turns back to normal.

She starts lurching forward like she is going to throw up. He positions her so that she is leaning off to the side of the bed.

This was done just in time because she starts throwing up.

She looks at everyone after she finishes.

It was quite evident that there was a clarity in her eyes that wasn't there before, but she still looks confused from her surroundings.

She looks at Tabitha, and even though it couldn't be heard, she says Charlotte.

Tabitha starts crying and rushes over to her mother.

Saito taps on her shoulder.

'I don't want to break up this great reunion Tabitha, but we need to get going.'

With a nod in agreement, Tabitha breaks away from her mother and motions for her to follow. She leads her mother to one of the crates and points inside.

The Duchess, even though confused, nods and gets in.

Before closing the lid, Tabitha motions with her finger to stay quiet.

The Duchess gives another nod.

Saito puts back on his jester's cap.

Tabitha releases the silence spell.

They all exit the room carefully into the hallway.

'Good. It looks like those maids must still be busy with their tasks.

They make their way outside and back to the wagon without a hitch.

Tabitha uses levitation to get the crates onto the wagon.

'Now make sure to give them a good show before we leave.' Saito communicates to Tabitha.

Tabitha looks back at the house with her usual cold stare. Then she slumps her shoulders and head in disappointment as she slowly turns around toward Sylphid.

Just before taking off, Tabitha wipes tears from her eyes.

'Now let's get the hell outta here.'

'I couldn't agree with you more Saito.'

'Shortly after we cross back onto Tristan territory we will make haste to the Valliere estate. I doubt your uncle's men will bother tracking us after we are back in Tristan. Your mother will be safe there. Even if they find out, I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to attack the Valliere estate with their own personal army nearby.'

As they ride off, Saito feels like a great weight is being lifted from Tabitha's shoulders.

Siesta clings onto his arm. Her face is hidden from his view, but he could tell something was up.

'I wonder if this is from her first attack on a human being. I will make sure to talk to her later.'

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 32 of my story.

Writing this chapter and the last chapter really made me happy. It was really terrible what Cattleya and Tabitha went through in the series. They both got the help they really needed. At least Saito didn't have to fight such an uphill battle to get Tabitha's mother back like he did in the anime.

I had someone ask if I had lost any interest in my story at all. I told them no. I am really enjoying writing this story, and I want to be able to say I finished it. Everyone's reviews have also kept me going as well. The positive reviews I keep seeing and the constant growth of followers has given me the drive I need to keep writing. Thank you all.

Until next time dear readers.


	33. Chapter 33: Double Duch

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

I am sooooooooooo sorry for such a late release. I had a test for school to take, and then I had a really busy weekend. Thank you for being patient.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-Three

Double Duch

A few days later.

'Saito! Saito! Saito!' Tabitha starts mentally yelling to Saito in his sleep.

He stirs awake in the guest room he is using at the Valliere household.

Worry strikes his facial features. He has never heard her so frantic before.

'What's wrong?'

'It's my mother. She is sweating heavily, her body is writhing, and she is speaking incoherently. Please come quick!'

The flood of emotions he felt from Tabitha nearly overwhelmed him.

He jumps out of bed and quickly gets dressed.

'Crap. I had a feeling that this was going to happen.'

He nearly runs into Siesta as he runs out of the door.

"What's going on Saito?"

"I need to help Tabitha's mother."

He continues running.

He reaches a door.

"I'm Here Tabi . . . . ."

He opens the door and takes a step inside and abruptly stops.

". . tha."

The end of his sentence trails off because of the sight before his eyes.

Eleonore and a maid were in front of him. The maid was holding some clothes in her hands.

Eleonore was standing there practically naked in front of him. She had on pink panties and was in the process of putting on a matching pink bra.

He had a very good view of her body.

She had a slender body with curves in all of the right places.

Her breasts were not as large as Cattleya's, but they were a nice shape.

Her long blond hair and glasses to the beauty of this sight.

A pause occurs between Saito and Eleonore.

The maid also stands in shock.

". . . . ."

". . . . ."

They both turn bright red.

"Oh shit!"

Saito bows and puts his hands above his head in a praying fashion.

"I am so sorry Eleonore. Please forgive me.

As he rushes back out and starts to close the door He yells out.

"Who the hell decorates two hallways exactly the same!"

He runs into the next hallway.

"Way to go partner!" Derf says to him.

"Oh my god! I can't believe it. How does this crap always happen to me?"

He enters into the correct room this time.

He goes into the room and sees Tabitha and her mother.

Tabitha is stricken with panic as she turns her head to Saito. Tears are pouring down her face.

"Saito! What is going on? Is this still the poison still having an effect of her?"

Tabitha's breathing is very exasperated and short.

He takes a good look at her mother.

He puts his hands on Tabitha's shoulders and looks her in the eye.

"She is going to be okay, but I need you to calm down so that you can help me. She is suffering from what is called withdrawal. Her body got used to having whatever was in that poison inside of her. The poison was a mixture of drugs and magic. I am going to try to calm her down. Hopefully having her release some extra endorphins will help her get through this."

"I don't know what endorphins are but I will do anything I can to help you out."

"I need you to hold down her hands. Her writhing will make it hard to do this."

She gets on the bed and holds her mother's hands above her head.

Saito sits next to her mother and puts his hands on either side of her head to hold it steady.

"Sorry for this."

'Alright Serena. I hope this works.'

As he kisses her, he starts to use his powers.

Instead of just healing her, he starts to increase her endorphin production to calm her body down to a manageable state.

As her body starts to calm down, Saito releases his hands.

He pulls away from the kiss and gives a nod to Tabitha to release her grip as well.

Tabitha grabs a cloth and start wiping the sweat off of her mother's forehead.

The duchess starts to open her eyes.

She has a glow about her.

"I feel like I just had a workout."

Saito scratches his temple.

"Well . . . that's because your body thinks it did."

"What happened to me?"

"Your body was going through withdrawal."

She looks at him with puzzlement.

"To put it simply, you got used to the poison being there. It's been a few days out of your body, and your body was starving for it. I simply counteracted it by making you release something to calm yourself down."

"Thank you so much Saito. You have been so much help to my daughter and me. She has told me so much about you. She truly loves you."

Tabitha blushes from her mother's statement.

He starts blushing and scratching the back of his head.

"You're . . . . . welcome, and I love her very much too."

'Did you happen to tell her everything by chance?'

'Not yet. A little bit at a time.'

'Okay, I just wanted to make sure.'

"I will leave you two be. Make sure you get some more rest. I don't think that you will have any more trouble from here on out. Usually, you are in clear once you can get over the big hump with withdrawal symptoms."

After getting a kiss and a hug from Tabitha, he exits into the hallway just to run back into Eleonore.

'Oh man. I'm in trouble.'

She is standing there with her arms crossed.

He bows and holds his hands over his head in a praying fashion again.

"I am sooooooooooo sorry Eleonore. I didn't mean to do that."

She adjusts her glasses.

"You seemed to be in a rush earlier. And now I see you coming out of the Duchess's room. Is everything okay?"

He raises back up.

He could see the seriousness, but also concern in her face.

"Everything should be fine now. She was having some problems, but I helped her out of it."

"Very good. I would hate for her to experience any more adverse effects from what she went through. That poor woman has gone through enough. This whole situation still seems surreal to me."

Her expression saddens.

"I also have to say that this scares me to the core. I cannot understand how a person could do such a thing to a family member. It was very dirty."

"I can't argue that with you Eleonore. I am angered for Tabitha and her mother. Family is important. I can't even fathom what kind of a mentality a person would have in order to be able to do such a thing."

Saito clenches his fist and gets a serious look on his face.

Eleonore sees his whole demeanor change.

"Let me tell you something else. If he dares to try anything else, then I will personally make him pay dearly for it."

"That's a pretty bold statement Saito."

"Well, I mean it."

"At least she is safe here. It is unfortunate that she is only limited to the inside of our estate, but it would unwise to venture, or be seen, outside."

"I agree. I truly thank your family for going out on a limb to do this for me."

"Even though this could potentially cause some trouble, it is the least we can do for you. Are you doing well though? You have been caring a lot for everyone else's well-being, but you seem to be quite tired as of late. Is everything catching up to you?"

He gets a little nervous from her question.

"I have been doing a lot, but I will be fine. Thank you for your concern. You better watch out though. People might think that you are getting soft."

"Well, we do you need you in good health too. For my sister's sake."

Saito crosses his arms.

"Ohhhh. So that is how you are going to try to play it off." He says playfully to her.

After a "Hmph", She does a quick turnaround to walk away and crosses her arms.

"By the way." She starts to say and then looks over her shoulder.

"You cannot deny what you saw earlier."

He gets stiff from nervousness.

'Oh shit. Here it comes. I'm a dead man walking.'

"I am going to have a talk with our decorator to resolve the issue."

"Ummmmm. . . Okay. . . . That's good." He says in response rather nervously.

She looks ahead so that he can't see her face.

"Because it is you, I will forgive you this time."

He inwardly sighs in relief.

'I live to see another day.'

"I would like to . . . know something." She says nervously.

"And that would be?"

"Did you take pleasure in what you saw?"

'Is this a trick question? Then again, I am probably screwed no matter how I answer the question.'

Just as he thought that, he could feel the temperature heat up in the room for some reason.

"In light of the fact that I did mention that I have other plans, I can't say that I did."

Saito could feel the temperature rise even more in the room.

"But at the same time, I would be lying if I said that I didn't take some form of pleasure in what I saw either."

All of a sudden the temperature dropped back to normal.

Without saying another word, she starts to walk away.

Saito stood there dumbfounded by the whole situation.

'So what the hell just happened? Is her walking away a good thing, or is her silence a foreshadow of my impending doom?'

He couldn't see her blush as she walked away.

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Saito enters back into his room to find Siesta on the edge of the bed.

'Why does she look so glum?'

He sits on the bed next to her and latches onto his arm and leans her head against his shoulder.

"Is everything okay Siesta?"

An awkward moment of silence passes between them before she speaks.

"That was the first time that I purposefully hurt someone."

'Ah. So that is what this is about.'

"And how do you feel about that Siesta?"

"I am torn about it. I mean. Fighting the Fenrir was easy. They weren't real targets per se. The butler was someone that was real. It was weird to purposefully hurt someone like that. A part of me wishes I would have done it sooner though, because you wouldn't have gotten hurt then. I wasn't quick enough to protect you from getting injured yourself. Can you help explain this to me?"

He gives her a comforting smile like she always dose for him.

"It's perfectly normal to feel that way Siesta. Intentionally hurting someone definitely takes some getting used to. It's not as easy of a thing to really stomach as people think. The good thing is that you were doing it for the right reasons. He was poisoning Tabitha's mother and then tried to kill her when she was about to be helped. It's not like you attacked an innocent person."

He pauses a moment as he reflects on his own actions for a moment.

Siesta was too busy in her own thoughts to notice this.

"Take comfort in that fact Siesta. You did it to protect someone, and that is the most honorable reasoning to do it."

Some of her tension releases after hearing him say that.

"Does it get easier?"

"It does." He responds back.

He touches her hands with one of his.

"Do you still wish to keep taking this route?"

She squeezes his arm in a loving manner.

"I love you Saito, and I said I wanted to stay by your side. I also made a vow to learn to be able to protect you as well. So yes, I still wish to take this path. Will you be here for me in case I need a little boost though?"

He smiles at her.

"Any time you need it."

He grabs her chin and raises her head up toward his and gives her a gentle kiss.

She hugs him while they kiss.

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Late morning.

Saito and Tabitha were chatting with her mother in her room.

Siesta was standing off to the side while they were talking.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Siesta answers the door after getting confirmation, and Eleonore is standing there.

"Pardon for my intrusion Lady Orleans."

She nods to Eleonore.

"That is quite alright."

"Are you doing well?"

"I am doing quite well thanks to Saito, and you have been quite hospitable towards me as well."

Eleonore smiles at her.

"That is very good to hear. I was wondering if I may take Saito away for a moment."

"I don't see why not. We weren't talking about anything of major importance." The Duchess says to Eleonore.

Tabitha gives him a nod.

Saito walks out with Eleonore.

He starts to follow her down a hallway.

"Sooooooooo what's up?"

Eleonore gets a really big smile on her face. She starts smiling so much that Saito could swear she was glowing with happiness.

She gets next to him and links her arm with his.

"There is something I really need to show you."

She leads him to a balcony, and points down.

"This is what I wanted to show you."

His gaze moves down and he sees Cattleya running around and playing with her pets and familiar.

Seeing her laugh and smile wholeheartedly brings a smile to his face.

Eleonore lets out a happy sigh and leans on his arm, which causes him to get a good blush.

"I never thought that I would be able to see my sister like this, and it is all thanks to you."

After making that comment she realizes what she was doing and lets go of him.

She clears her throat and regains her composure.

"I am really glad that you're happy. It must have been draining on you too."

She nods.

"She has even asked me to help her with her magic."

"That's great."

'Serena. I can't even tell you how grateful I am to you as well. This miracle wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the powers that I gained from becoming your avatar.'

'I am happy to have you as my avatar. You have proven yourself to be a good choice, and you have made some interesting use of your powers.'

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Late afternoon.

"I got to see you playing around earlier." He says teasingly.

"Oh! You saw that?"

Saito gives Cattleya a nod.

They were sitting at the table in her room while she drinks her water.

She blushes.

"I am just so happy right now. I wanted to take advantage of my regained strength and enjoy life."

"I could tell. I really enjoyed looking at your smile. It wasn't a smile that was hiding pain. It was a genuine smile."

She finishes her water.

"I am also really glad that you were able to help out Tabitha's mother as well. Her and mother have been getting along quite well. Mother has been enjoying sharing good conversation over tea with her."

"That is great that they are getting along so well. And I am really grateful that your family has been so hospitable towards everyone."

"My family feels like we owe you for everything that you have been doing. So mother and father didn't mind even with the risks."

"Well thank you."

She stands up and unbuttons her blouse while she walks toward her bed.

She pulls her blouse part way off and she looks over her shoulder.

"Please be gentle with me."

A huge blush comes over his cheeks and he puts his face in his hand.

"Must you always tease me every time we do this?"

She giggles slightly.

"I can't help it. It's kind of fun."

"Ugh."

She lays down for him and he sits on the side next to her.

She embraces him as he kisses her.

Serena and he make their diagnosis and he lets up from the kiss.

Her cheeks are blushed.

He puts his hands on her chest and stomach as he starts the healing process.

His while body changes into its liquid form.

The small bouts of pain that she feels are even more negligible that last time. The bouts of pain even stop after a short while.

Cattleya notices that he is taking even longer than usual.

She could see the sweat that was sliding down his cheeks. His eyebrows were furrowed and his teeth were gritted from him straining.

"Saito?"

'Saito.' Serena says to him nervously.

"Just a little bit more. Almost done."

Cattleya could tell he was starting to get tired from everything. His eyes were narrowing and widening.

His body quickly changes back to normal as he finishes.

Cattleya quickly sits up and embraces him again so that he wouldn't fall over.

"Saito! What were you thinking?"

"I . . . finished. . . . No . . . need . . . for . . . the fourth . . .treatment. . . . Monthly . . is good . . . now."

"Her embrace becomes gentler."

"You didn't have to go so far, but thank you."

He gives a smile.

She helps him into a chair so that she could fix her shirt.

"Siesta, you may come in now." Sha calls out after she fixes herself.

Siesta was already waiting outside of the room at Saito's request.

As Siesta opens the door, she sees Saito's condition.

"He went a longer than what he usually does. He is really tired." She explains to the maid.

Siesta walks up to his seat.

"Oh Saito. What am I going to do with you?" The dark haired maid says with a soft smile.

She helps him up and walks him back to his room with his arm over her shoulder.

She gives him a kiss on the cheek when there is no one around on their walk.

"Always worrying about everyone else except yourself Mr. Hero." She says to him.

"Would it be me if I didn't?"

"We wouldn't be here if you were any other way."

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Saito sits up extremely quickly as he wakes up from another nightmare.

After hearing a yelp his head ends up between two large pillows.

He could tell by the yelp that it was Siesta and that his head just so happened to be between her breasts. They were clothed, but there was no doubt that those were her breasts.

He wraps his arms around her and just embraces her.

"Saito?" She says to him with a little worry.

The bed shifts behind him and he feels a set of arms wrap around his stomach from behind.

'Are you okay?' Asks Tabitha through their link.

'Yeah. I am okay. Just had a nightmare.'

'Are you sure? This is not the first time.'

'Yes I am sure. No worries.' He nervously thinks to her.

'Alright. I will leave you alone about it for now.'

He lifts up from Siesta's breasts and smiles at her.

"Thanks Siesta."

He gives her a kiss and then Tabitha before getting out of bed.

"I think we should go outside for a bit."

He opens the door to his room and finds the matriarch of the Valliere family standing there with a few of her usual guards that follow her.

"Ummm. Hello. How may I help you?" He asks.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind partaking in a little whim of mine."

"I don't see why not. What might that be?"

"I would like to test your skills tomorrow."

'Oh crap!'

"I have heard so much about you from all of my daughters that I would really like to see how well you fight. Nothing too serious, just a little bit of sparring."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

Until next time dear readers.


	34. Chapter 34: Sparring Session

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-Four

Sparring Session

Saito stands in the middle of a training field. It's a huge field that has been magically enhanced and reinforced. There are pillars, rock structures and partial buildings. There are streams and other forms of running water everywhere. There are also areas where there are fire spouts. He is standing in the middle of a large open area of the training field.

Everyone is standing far off in the distance along a cliff except for Karin.

Sylphid is also nearby in her dragon form.

They watch through spyglasses.

Tabitha's mother insisted on watching. So she is also there, wearing a hooded cloak.

Other than a handful of guards, there is no one else there.

Saito makes a good note to himself that there are bystanders nearby.

'Take her extremely seriously Saito. She might not be an avatar, but she might as well be one.'

'I've heard the stories about her, Serena. I've got this feeling that this isn't going to be a walk in the park.'

He starts scratching his head.

"I wonder where she is at." Saito asks aloud even though no one except Derflinger can hear him.

He sees something in the distance.

As it approaches his eyes go wide as it becomes clearer to see.

"Oh my god. Is that a manticore with Karin riding on it?"

He watches the beast comes close and start to land. The flapping of its dragon like wings causes a breeze. The body looks like a lion's body, but it's as large as Sylphid's. Its tail resembles that of a scorpion's and the face reminds him of the musical Cats. The face is a mixture of a human's and a lion's.

Karin is riding on it. She is wearing light armor and has a rapier sword-wand strapped to her side. Her hair is pulled back into a pony tail instead of her usual style.

Her presence sends shivers down everyone's spine.

Louise hides behind Cattleya.

Siesta gently grabs onto Tabitha's arm.

'Damn. I am barely keeping my stance. She's practically shaking me to the core.' Thinks Saito.

She gets off of the manticore and turns to it.

"Thank you my Familiar. You may go now. This is just between me and him."

It nods, snorts, and flies back away from the battlefield. It stays within watching distance.

'Are you sure about this Saito?' Inquires Tabitha.

'I am. This is something that I probably need to do. Besides, this will probably be a good learning experience.'

'Very well. I have faith in you Saito. You can do this.'

'Thank you.'

He looks over to Karin. She has a serious look on her face.

"It is good to see that you came. I would have been highly disappointed to have gotten all geared up and then you not show."

"I would hate to disappoint. Plus, I think it would be kind of rude to turn down an invitation from Karin of the Heavy Wind. I am sure that you don't give it out very often."

She smiles at him.

"I hope you are prepared for this, even though I am sure that this is still going to be rather quick."

"I see that you are quite confident in yourself, but just make sure that you don't underestimate your opponent."

"I suppose you are quite right about that. I have heard quite a number of things about you myself. There has been a lot between what my daughters have said and the rumors that have made their way back to here. This includes that battle of 70,000. I wanted to see your power for myself."

"I am honored."

"You should be, now let's begin."

Saito slowly draws Derflinger and gets into a battle stance.

"You know, sisters, I don't think that I have ever seen mother get this worked up."

Cattleya and Louise look at Eleonore after she says that and nod in agreement.

"Yes. This truly is a momentous occasion." Their father chimes in.

"Your boyfriend must be something pretty amazing in order for her to want to do this. Just hearing her name sent fear into people's hearts."

Tabitha looks to her mother in slight shock.

"And she wants to spar with Saito?"

Her mother nods.

Tabitha looks back over to the training grounds and clutches the pendant the he had gotten her.

"So what is your first move going to be?" Karin asks him.

His eyes turn blue.

"May the waters rise up. . ."

Water starts to shoot up from the ground in the form of 5 columns of water. This time it is amplified by his avatar powers. So instead of the columns being as tick as a coffee cup, they are as thick as a large mixing bowl.

"To form a barrier around me, and lash out at my enemies."

Eight columns of water swirl around Saito, waving back and forth.

"Dancing streams!"

"Oh! Did you learn that spell from my daughter Eleonore?"

He nods.

Eleonore blushes from seeing him use the spell she taught him.

"Too bad that I already know how to take care of that."

She quick draws her rapier and holds her arms straight out at each side.

Saito starts charging forward to close the gap.

Blasts of wind shoot out from various points around her and start to take out Saito's dancing streams one by one as he rushes forward.

He manages to get close to her, but she took out all of his streams.

"It still helped him." Eleonore gloats.

They clash swords and start parrying each other's attacks.

'His skill with a sword is certainly no joke. I have to figure out something soon or he might get the upper hand.'

She goes in for a downward blow.

"Wind strike!"

Derflinger not only takes the hit from her sword, but also the strike as well. He was only able to absorb most of the attack though. The power and speed behind the attack was extremely high.

Saito keeps his stance but gets impacted into the ground and several cuts form along his face and upper body.

"Well that was certainly stronger than the one Wardes used against me."

"My sincerest apologies for that happening, but never speak of that name again in my presence."

He breaks away and follows up with his own strike.

"Water strike!"

Slicing in the direction of his strike, Karin uses her wind power to try to deflect his strike. This only partially succeeds as she also takes some of his hit. She nearly gets knocked off of her feet.

"Hmm. Let's try this." The Heavy Wind contemplates.

She makes a gesture with her sword and comes at him again.

She starts attacking him at an incredible speed.

He desperately tries to keep up with her attacks, but he starts to fall behind.

'No good. I'd be fine if it wasn't for her speed up. So do I mimic her or do I try something else?'

'Something else. Show her your water abilities.' Serena chimes in.

He tumbles away from one her strikes.

"Ready to run away?" The pink haired matriarch asks in a very mocking tone.

"No way." He says sternly and with glowing blue eyes.

He stomps his foot on the ground and a wave of water flows out from him in a 15 foot radius. This soaks the whole area affected.

He starts rushing toward her for a strike with Derf.

She tries to use her increased speed to fight back, but slips from the water underneath her. She makes a big splat on the ground as she hits the water.

She rolls over just in time to dodge a downward strike.

She looks at his feet and they are water-like.

"Hmph" She says aloud.

She kicks him in the gut and he stumbles back.

She gets up, dismisses her speed up and starts floating back.

"That was pretty quick thinking on your part Saito."

"Thank you."

She gets safely out of the range of the water on the ground and lands.

She points her sword at him.

"Winds, blow away all that is in front of me."

"Let the raging waters destruction flow forward."

"Wind Blast!"

"Water Blast!"

Water and wind blow out from Saito and Karin respectively. The blasts meet each other and come to a standstill.

Arcs form in the air where the blasts meet, destroying all in their wake.

Streaks start forming in the ground.

Surprise and awe strikes all of the onlookers.

"I've never seen anyone go toe to toe with my wife before."

"I think we should change this up!" Saito mentions to Karin.

She could barely hear him over all of the noise their blasts were making.

They dismiss their efforts after getting an agreeing nod from her.

Water rains down on the area as the spells get dismissed.

Quickly trying to gain the advantage again, Karin starts waving her sword back and forth.

"Wind blade."

Large nine foot arcs of wind flow toward Saito. The arcs cut along the ground and dirt and water fly up into the air in their wake.

Saito starts running to the side as blade after blade pass behind him as Karin tries to follow after him.

He points Derf at the ground a little ways away in front of him

"Earth, robust mother, answer my wishes and become a moving wall."

He rushes towards the wall of earth that emerges from the ground in front of him and ducks behind it.

He reinforces it with another spell that Eleonore taught him.

Karin starts walking toward it.

"And how long do you expect that to last against an opponent such as myself."

One of her wind blades hits the reinforced wall but has no effect.

'Damn. I felt the earth around me shake with that.'

Another blade hits the wall and puts a crack it.

'Well that didn't take long.' He thinks to himself.

He stomps his foot again and another wave of water turns the ground into mush.

He senses through her footsteps on the water how close she is.

Another blade hits the wall and more cracks appear.

'Now.'

He dismisses the reinforcement spell and preps Derflinger along his front.

"Explosion!"

The blast destroys the wall and sends pieces flying everywhere. The explosion and the rubble send Karin flying back with a yelp.

One of Karin's blades makes it through the blast at the same time and hits Saito. Derf couldn't absorb the whole thing, and he also gets sent flying back against a rock formation.

'Wasn't that one of Louise's spells?' Karin thinks as she stands back up. She also now has some scratches and cuts.

Louise puts a hand over her mouth in shock.

The air pressure changes around Karin as the air stats to swirl around her.

She starts rising up from the ground.

"You might be good on the ground, but how are you going to handle an enemy that can fly?"

"May the waters around me be used as weapons to shoot down my enemies. Water cannon!"

Water spins around to form multiple balls surrounding Saito.

He starts firing at Karin to no avail. She just doges them with ease.

"Hahahahha. Pretty good idea to use another spell like that. I see you learned quite a bit from my daughter. Too bad I'm not your average opponent. You will have to do better than that."

"Hmph."

He starts mimicking her flight spell as air starts to swirl around him.

He lifts off from the ground.

"Interesting." She says aloud.

She starts flying higher and higher and Saito follows.

"So now we are making this a mid-air battle?"

"Why not." Saito responds back.

Streaks can be seen in the sky by everyone as they watch the battle ensue between Saito and Karin.

"I can't believe I am seeing this."

"Yes Cattleya. This truly is a monumental occasion to observe." The duke says in return.

Saito and Karin make pass after pass at each other. They clash swords over and over again as they make jousting like passes at each other.

'Damn. She clearly has the upper hand up here. I haven't messed with airborne flight before. She is practically dancing around me.'

They lock swords in combat as they take swings at each other.

"This is truly exhilarating Saito. This is making me feel young again."

"I'm . . . . glad . . . . to . . . oblige." He returns between blows.

Karin gets a good couple of swings at Saito, giving him a couple new cuts along his arm and back.

'I am going to have to switch tactics. Let's see if she is willing to follow me.'

He points himself downward and starts flying towards the ground at increasing speed.

"You aren't going to get away from me that easily Saito."

She starts flying downward toward him.

He keeps getting closer and closer to the ground.

'What's up your sleeve Saito?' Karin wonders.

Shortly before getting to the ground he dismisses the flight spell and spins around in mid-air so that his feet will hit the ground.

"Shoot out of the ground as a pillar of cool water."

His feet impact the ground and he slides back with the force.

"Geyser!"

He punches the ground and a geyser bursts up from the ground a few feet in front of him and knocks his pink haired opponent out of the air and onto the ground.

From the prone position, she launches a wind blade at him.

Unprepared for it, it knocks him over and launches Derf out of his hands.

He holds his hand out in Derf's direction and starts to use levitation to start returning it to his hand.

"Gust."

A gust of wind blast from her and causes Derfling to get imbedded into a wall.

"I just got that sword away from you. I am not going to let you get it back that easily."

She starts twirling her sword above her head.

The wind starts picking up as Saito gets back to his feet.

The wind starts to swirl around them, with Karin in the center of it.

Saito's runes glow immensely under his shirt.

"This can't be good." He says as he shakes his head.

"Now let me show you one of my true specialties."

A tornado forms around them and Karin shifts so that it sucks him in.

He spins around and around in the tornado.

"Oh man. I am sure glad that I am the avatar of water. Otherwise I probably would have hurled already."

The tornado makes him quite breathless.

"So now what are you going to do? Are you going to concede?"

He points his hand in her direction as he flies around and around in the vortex.

"Lightn. . . "

She shifts a few feet and he slams through a thin pillar.

"Ah, ah, ah. I can't let you do that."

'I have an idea my avatar. First start to fill her tornado with water. Call the water to you.

He holds out his arms and closes his eyes.

Water starts to flow out of the whole that the geyser created.

The water falling from a water fall starts flowing at an angle into the tornado.

His body also starts changing into a body of water.

After a few moments, Karin can no longer tell where he is at.

She hastily moves the tornado in a few directions and into a couple more pillars.

The pillars get demolished she hears nothing from the tornado.

A huge blast of water shoots out at Karin from the tornado where Saito is sucking the water from within the tornado and blasting it out from himself.

The blast knocks him and Karin out of the tornado.

His body turns back to normal.

She hits the ground hard and the tornado starts spiraling out of control. It takes off on its own.

Saito shakes his head and looks at the tornado.

"Shit! It's heading for everyone."

He gets up and starts rushing it the same direction as it.

'Tabitha! Tell Louise to dispel it. I am going to buy her time and try to at least slow it down.'

'Got it.'

Tabitha quickly turns to Louise.

"Louise. You have to dispel it. Saito is going to try to buy you time."

Louise turns to her in surprise and worry.

"How do you know that he is going to do that?"

"I just do. It doesn't matter. He needs you to do this."

Louise gets out her wand and starts chanting.

Her sisters and her father look to her in surprise.

Karin looks up from the place where she fell on the ground.

Saito mimics Karin's spell and makes himself move faster as he rushes beyond the tornado.

'So now I know why she only attacked me with her sword when she was doing this. She couldn't cast any other spells while doing it.'

Karin gets up and takes flight toward their direction.

'This was not supposed to happen.'

Saito stops in front of the tornado and starts twirling his hands above his head.

His runes glow and Tabitha can see the glow from the cuts in his shirt.

Another tornado forms.

The starts to spread furiously.

"I really hope this works."

He makes a motion and his tornado smashes and merges with the other tornado.

The base of the combined tornado spreads out to one and a half times the size it already was.

He tries to control the newly combined tornado.

The veins of his runes spread throughout his body like crazy.

Sweat pours down his face from the strain of the spell and how much his body is being taxed.

The veins spread to his neck.

"You shall not pass." He says to the tornado as if it is alive.

The enormous tornado slows its approach.

The blue veins crawl up his neck and approaches his eyes as he drops to one knee.

Louise finishes incanting the spell and the tornado starts to dissipate.

She drops to her knees and her sisters come to her side.

Saito also drops.

"Sylphid!" Calls out Tabitha, and she hops on and starts flying toward Saito.

Debris starts raining down.

A large piece of debris starts falling toward Saito, but Tabitha uses her own wind blade (which pales in comparison to Karin's) to cut it down.

Tabitha and Karin both land by Saito. His eyes are closed.

Karin is dripping wet and soaked to the bone.

Tabitha leans over him.

"Are you alright Saito? Please talk to me." Tabitha says in a panic.

He slowly opens his eyes. They are bright blue.

"I am fine, just a little tired." He says back while breathing heavily.

"Are you sure about that?" Karin asks.

"Yeah. I just better not cast any more spells 'til I rest."

"I am so sorry that that happened, and I am sorry that you had to deal with that. I feel ashamed."

He gives a thumbs up.

"No big deal. Everyone is fine. Make sure you thank Louise for dispelling that monstrosity. Could you help me up Tabitha?"

She nods and helps him up after some effort.

Karin smiles at him.

"You performed wonderfully, and you were quick to react to every situation. You have truly gained my respect."

"That means a lot to me. Thank you."

Her manticore flies down next to her.

"I do have a question for you Saito."

"What is that?"

"You were holding back, weren't you?"

"Yes I was, but I could also say the same to you."

She nods to him.

"There were people nearby that almost got hurt." She says to him.

"That is why I couldn't use some of the same spells that I used at the battle of 70,000."

"I am pleased to see that you know how to differentiate your fighting style from fight an army vs. a single opponent."

"And besides, I don't think that this place would have survived if we both went all out." He responds back.

They both look around.

They observe the layout of the area.

"I guess I was wrong in what I said. The place didn't survive even with us not going all out." He says as he scratches the back of his head.

Karin starts chuckling, but then the chuckle turns into a full out laughter that Saito joins in on.

Eleonore looks to her sisters.

"Is mother really laughing?"

After a few moments they stop their laughter and Karin speaks up again.

"Take him back to the mansion for some good rest. He deserves it. I will make sure the others get back."

Tabitha nods and they get on Sylphid.

"Let's get Derf before we go back."

They fly off.

'Well done my avatar. You held your own quite well.' Serena tells him.

'Barely.'

Karin gets on her manticore and flies up to the cliff edge where the others are at.

After getting off, she speaks to everyone.

"He is fine, just tired. I am glad that all of you are good as well."

She then looks over to Louise.

"So you were the one that dispelled the tornado?"

Louise nervously nods.

"Well done my youngest daughter."

Louise blushes and gets a great big smile.

"Agreed. Perhaps we need to reevaluate things." Her father chimes in.

"Thank you father." Louise responds.

Karin then looks at Eleonore and smiles.

Eleonore bows her head at her mother.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 34.

I normally don't ask for reviews because I find it kind of rude to ask. But I was hoping to hear back from you, my readers, on what parts you have really liked about my story so far over the past 34 chapters.

Thank you.

Until next time dear readers.


	35. Chapter 35: The Queen's Return

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-Five

The Queen's Return

"Thank you for all of the help you have been giving us." Saito says to the Duke and Duchess.

Saito, Tabitha, and Siesta outside of the Valliere household as they prepare to leave.

"It has been a pleasure to have all of you here." The Duchess says in return.

"I am sorry that we cannot take her with us just yet. I want to ensure everything is safety before we can get her out of here."

"We understand. You do what you need to do. We will keep your mother safe here Tabitha." Duke Valliere says to them.

"Thank you." Tabitha responds in kind.

"Please come back whenever you feel like it." Karin says to him with a smile.

The Duke and Duchess walk back into the house.

Cattleya gives everyone a hug, which catches Tabitha off guard.

"It has been a pleasure having all of you here. I am to see your mother in good health Tabitha, and please feel at ease. She is safe here. We will take good care of her while she is here."

"Yes. We will keep our promise to you, and she is an honored guest here." Eleonore adds in a serious/matter-of-fact tone.

"I can't thank you enough for doing this for us."

Eleonore shakes her head.

"It is us that should be thanking you, Saito."

She gives Saito a hug which stuns Louise again just like the time she did that to him.

Cattleya smiles at the sight of her sister hugging Saito and thinks.

'It is good to see my sister Eleonore acting like this. Saito really has such a good influence on everyone. Even father and mother have been changed by him.'

Louise nervously walks up to them, and looks up at him.

"I don't know whether you did it purposely or not, but thank you for asking for my help. I got to show my parents that I am not just a zero, and it felt good to finally get praised. Thank you."

Saito gives her a thumbs up.

"I'm glad to hear that." He says to her as he turns towards Sylphid.

Tabitha, Saito, and Siesta climb onto Sylphid.

The Valliere sisters all watch them leave.

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*Knock, knock,knock*

"Who is it?" Asks Tiffania.

"It is Agnes."

"Oh! Come right in."

Agnes opens the door to see Tiffania brushing her hair in front of a large mirror. She walks in and shuts the door behind her and Tiffa stops her brushing to face Agnes.

"Thank you for shutting the door."

"I know that you don't want others seeing your ears."

"That was very thoughtful of you. What can I do for you, Agnes?"

"I was just here to check and make sure everything is all right for you."

"It has been an adjustment, but I am doing well. Henrietta has been very kind and spending extra time with me."

"You are her cousin after all, and she just wants to make sure that you are as comfortable as possible."

'Maybe now I can have a chance to talk to her as a woman.' Tiffania thinks.

"Could I ask you a personal question Agnes?"

An eyebrow gets raised by Agnes as she ponders on what the half-elf might ask her.

"What is it that you would like to know?"

"What is it like being one of four girlfriends to Saito?"

This startles the captain.

'That is not what I was expecting her to ask.'

"That is awful odd question to answer."

"I'm sorry. If it really bothers you, then you don't have to answer."

A pause is passed while Agnes thinks about what is willing to say because she isn't really one to share her feelings.

"All of us have formed a pretty tight bond, so we get along well. We each have our own role, and we try not to get jealous when he gives his attention to the others."

'I was really hoping for more from her, but I don't think that I am going to get much more than that. She seems pretty tight lipped.'

"So, out of curiosity, how would you react if someone else wanted to be another mistress to him?"

She tried to make it sound like a question out of intrigue instead of seriousness.

Another pause.

This sends a flurry of emotions through the already taxed captain's head.

"I'm . . . . . . not too fond of that idea. It was pretty difficult for me to embrace to begin with. Let alone adding on more."

Tiffania turns back toward the mirror and starts brushing her hair again to distract her from showing her disappointment in hearing what Agnes said.

'This isn't going to be easy I guess. Is it wrong for me to want to be with him? I really do like him. Would I be disrupting their good relationship though?'

"Thank you for answering my questions honestly. I was just curious. My mother was a mistress, so I was just wondering how you felt, being that you are in a relationship like that."

Agnes gives a light bow of her head.

"I hope my answer was helpful."

"It was, and thank you again."

"Will that be all then?"

"Yes. Thank you."

As Agnes cautiously opens the door and leaves, she ponders on what just happened.

'Was she really asking that out of curiosity?'

Worry and more questions fill her head as she walks away.

Tiffania reflects on their conversation as well.

'So far, I think that she will be hardest to gain the approval of if I really want to pursue him.'

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Tabitha lands outside of the palace in Tristan.

"I'm glad that Henrietta is back in Tristan. Traveling back and forth to Albion was getting a little cumbersome. But I must say, It sure was fun to mess with Friedrich."

Siesta looks at Saito.

"I think that you had a little too much fun doing that."

He nods vigorously with a huge grin.

Aimee and Guinevere wave to them from the distance and they walk over to them.

"It's so good to see you again Saito." Aimee says ecstatically.

"Well it is good to see the both of you again as well. I heard that the Queen had returned, so I figured that I would check in with her."

"Very well Saito. Go ahead in. It's good to see you." Guinevere says.

Saito and his group walk in.

Aimee and Guinevere start whispering to each other as the others go in.

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"Hello Julia. Welcome back to Tristan."

"Thank you Saito. It's good to be back. I have some fond memories there, but I missed being here."

A smirk forms at the end of her mouth after saying that.

She knocks on the door.

"Your highness, Saito and company are here to see you."

"Let them in."

As Julia opens the door, Saito could see Henrietta and Agnes.

Henrietta could hardly keep her composure as she sees him.

"Thank you Julia." Henrietta tries to calmly say.

After the door shuts Henrietta rushes over to him and practically jumps him. She wraps her arms around his neck as she hugs and kisses him.

Agnes, even though she would also like to rush over to him, keeps her stance off to the side as Henrietta has her moment.

"I missed all of you."

After a chuckle Saito looks at her.

"We couldn't tell." He says sarcastically.

He is given a little pout by the happy queen, and then she looks over to Tabitha and Siesta.

"You know, I am kind of jealous of you two. You get to spend so much time with him."

'Yeah. No kidding.' Is what Agnes thinks as she waits off to the side.

She didn't realize it, but she could be read easily by the annoyed look on her face.

Henrietta releases him.

"I guess that I should let you go over and give Agnes some affection too before she boils over."

After walking over to her, he puts his hands on his hips.

"Are you happy to see me too?"

She also puts her hands on her hips and looks off to the side.

"I have no idea what you two might be talking about."

He quickly grabs her hips and pulls her close.

Her heart races with the closeness to him and she gets a light blush.

"Are you sure?" he asks slyly.

"Hmph."

They both go in for a kiss at the same time.

After they release she gives him a smile.

"I guess I might be a little happy to see you."

He lets go of her.

"So should I take it that everything went well with your mother?" Asks the purple haired beauty.

"Mostly." Tabitha repsonds.

"Mostly?" Henrietta questions.

Saito scratches the back of his head.

"Yeah. It went well for the most part. We had to kill her butler unfortunately."

Shock comes over both Henrietta and Agnes.

"But why? I thought he was loyal to her?"

"Well I thought so too, but I guess he was a little too close. He was keeping her poisoned this whole time right under everyone's noses. Then he tried to kill her, but Siesta and I stopped him."

Henrietta goes over and hugs Tabitha.

"I am so sorry that you had to go through that Tabitha. I can't believe you were holding down the stress from this whole situation and was keeping it all to yourself."

"Thank you Henrietta."

"I think it's wonderful that Saito was able to help her out." Adds Siesta.

"I hope that your uncle doesn't retaliate." Says Agnes with concern.

Everyone's mood changes for a brief moment after hearing Agnes' statement.

"We will handle that if and when it comes up, but he won't if he knows what's good for him."

Everyone could feel the seriousness that Saito put into that statement.

Tabitha latches onto his arm and leans her head against it.

Siesta looks at Henrietta and Agnes excitedly.

"You would have been proud with Saito for another reason."

"Why is that?" Questions the queen.

She points to him.

"He faced off with Louise's mother."

"Karen of the Heavy Wind?" Agnes questions.

She vigorously nods.

"He performed wonderfully." Tabitha adds.

"He had even taken on a tornado of hers that went out of control."

"You did?" Henrietta asks.

While scratching the back of his head, he shrugs and nods in agreement.

"You can't do anything small, can you Saito?" Agnes asks as she crosses her arms and smirks.

He blushes.

"Oh. How is Tiffania doing? Has she been adjusting well?"

"She is doing well Saito. She is actually going to be going to the academy. She said that you gave her the courage to go."

'Oh really?' Thinks the maid.

He smiles happily.

"Oh really? That is good for her."

"She sure has talked about you a lot too. Are you sure that you two didn't do anything naughty while you were with her in the forest?" Henrietta teasingly says to him.

Tabitha's eyes go wide and then she turns to Saito with her arms crossed.

He turns bright red at the thought and then waves his hands in defense.

"No. No. No. No. No. No such thing happened."

With a giggle and a dismissing wave of Henrietta's hand, He starts to settle back down.

"I'm just teasing you Saito. You already told us that nothing happened between you two. I think that you did have a positive effect on her though."

He sighs in relief.

'I can't even imagine the wrath I would endure if I really did do something behind the backs of these four.' He nervously thinks.

'That surely didn't do anything to ease my mind.' Are Agnes' thoughts on the matter.

"Would you mind if I borrowed him for a little while Tabitha? It would be nice to go for a walk with him. It's been so long since I've gotten to be around him."

With a smile and a nod, Henrietta gets her confirmation.

"Do you mind Saito?" Henrietta asks him for confirmation.

The glow of anticipation and excitement could be seen in her pleading eyes by Saito

He shakes his head.

"I don't mind at all. It would be very nice."

She nearly jumps up and down, but she keeps her composure and doesn't.

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Saito and Henrietta take a leisurely walk around the outside courtyard of the palace.

"It is really good to spend some time with you again Saito."

"I am sorry I was away for so long your Highness."

"That is alright. You had personal things to take care of."

"Thank you your Highness."

"By the way Saito, I wanted to formally invite you to my ball."

"Your ball?"

"Yes. I am holding a Slepnir ball."

"Isn't that an eight legged horse?"

She pauses in her walking and gives him a puzzled look.

"Huh? An legged horse? You have those?"

"It was just a legend. No one has actually seen it."

"Fascinating. I would like to learn more about this horse sometime. The ball I'm having is a special masquerade ball where people can look like whomever they value the most. So people can look like anyone, even each other."

"But how?"

"A magic mirror, and I think it might be a fun game for you."

"Ut oh. What do you mean?"

She smiles at him.

"I think it would be fun to see if you can figure out who is who."

He puts his hand to his face.

'Oh man. That's not fair.'

"What's nice about it is that it makes the whole thing a little more casual because no one knows who is who."

"So formality gets dropped. That is rather ingenious your highness."

"Thank you Saito. I wish that I wouldn't have had to wait so long to do it. I couldn't hold it while I was in Albion."

Saito smacks his fist lightly into his other hand as he remembers something.

"That reminds me. Are you still looking for someone to be your ambassador in Albion?"

"Yes I am. That is part of the reason I came back here to Tristan."

"Then may I offer my opinion on that matter."

She gives him an intrigued look.

"Why yes, of course you may. You are my trusted Chevalier."

"Then I suggest offering that position to the Valliere family."

Surprise strikes both Henrietta's and Agnes' features and they stop walking again.

"I am surprised that you would make such a proposal considering your interactions with them."

"But it IS because of my interactions with them that I suggest them."

"Pray tell, Why?"

"Well, to put it simply, they've changed for the better. I don't view them the same way that I used to. I have seen a lot of changes in their personalities and their views since my interactions with them."

"It's true. He has made quite the impact on them." Adds Derf.

"I will certainly have to take that into consideration then."

Just then, a very familiar looking wolf runs up to him.

"Hello there. It is good to see you too." Saito says to the wolf.

It huffs.

"So if you are here, then . . " He starts to say.

"Saitooooo!" Says Tiffania as she runs toward him waving and smiling.

She gives him a huge hug when she gets close enough, which startles Henrietta and Agnes.

She lets go of him after a few seconds.

"It's so good to see you Saito. I hope Weylyn didn't startle you."

"Ah. So you named him."

"I couldn't just have him around and not name him. Isn't that right Weylyn?"

It barks at her in acknowledgement.

Saito smiles.

"I am sorry for the intrusion Henrietta." Tiffania says to the Queen.

"That is quite alright Tiffania. You are my cousin after all."

"So I hear that you are going to be going to the academy?" Tiffania gets asked by Saito and she responds with a nod.

"I am a little scared, but you gave me the courage to go."

"Just remember. If anything happens, then just come to me. I will be there to help you.

"Thank you so much Saito."

'Always the helpful one.' Henrietta thinks.

"A couple of the musketeers will be there as well under the pretense that they will be there with Saito to aid with training. Please keep watch over my cousin."

"You have my word."

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Before leaving the palace, Agnes, Aimee, and Guinevere approach Saito. Guinevere is holding a wooden box.

He looks at them questioningly.

"We got together with some of the other musketeers and got you something for what you did. We wanted to do this sooner, but everything was so hectic that we didn't have enough time." Aimee says to him.

"I am flattered, but you ladies didn't have to do anything for me." He says in modesty.

"I don't think that you should turn them down. They were really looking forward to giving this to you." Says Agnes with earnest.

Agnes also has a smug look on her face.

"Well, then I guess I have no choice then. Let's see what you've got."

Guinevere opens the box to reveal a hand musket with the engraving The Sword on the side with a very small A.M. in the corner of the engraving.

"They chipped in together for it. I added the engraving." Agnes says to him.

"Wow. I don't even know what to say.

"How about thank you." Aimee says.

"Thank you very much. All of you."

Aimee's and Guinevere's eyes glow with happiness.

"Everything you need to start with is also in that box." Adds Agnes.

"I will treasure this very dearly. I am glad that I learned how to use one from you ladies."

Agnes smiles.

"Now let's get back to work you two."

"Awwwwwwwww, but captain . . "

"No buts. Let's get going."

"Thanks Agnes." He whispers to her.

She smiles and turns away.

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Tabitha, Saito, and Siesta enter back into Tabitha's room at the academy.

Saito stretches as he enters and Tabitha reaches for something on the bed.

"It sure is glad to be back here. It was nice being at the Valliere estate, but I like it here." Saito says and Siesta gives him a nod in agreement.

Tabitha gets a pale look on her face.

Saito's smile changes to worry.

"What's wrong Tabitha?"

She doesn't say anything.

He walks over to her.

"It's from my uncle." She says nervously.

He grabs the note from her and reads it.

"This must have been brought here while we were saving your mother." He says in reassurance to her.

He crumples up the letter and then hugs her tightly.

"This note means nothing now."

She wraps her arms around him, embracing him.

"We will have to keep an eye on Louise though if he is going to be targeting void users."

"And Tiffania." Adds Siesta.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 35.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is up to chapter 5

And my new story Monster Musume: Drago's Quest has been posted under the Daily life with a monster girl category.

Until next time dear readers.


	36. Chapter 36: Back To School

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-Six

Back To School

Saito slowly wakes up and he sees that he is curled up with Tabitha.

He gives her a light squeeze, which causes her give a light smile in return. She turns her head and they share a soft kiss.

He looks around to see if Siesta is in the room and catches her getting dressed for her day.

She catches him eying her up and decides to tease him in a very insinuating tone.

"Peaking on your maid my master? How bold of you."

"I think we have shared even bolder moments than this."

As she pulls up her skirt, Siesta exaggeratedly bends over with her butt pointed in his direction and very slowly (and seductively) pulls it up.

This causes him to not only blush but also causes him to start to become erect.

Tabitha feels this and also decides to have a little fun with this too as she grinds her butt against him. This causes him to become fully erect.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?"

She blushes.

"Not . . . me."

"I can't believe I am waking up to two beautiful women."

"I think we have Tabitha to partially thank for this."

Tabitha blushes a little deeper.

Saito sits up and looks at the blue haired beauty next to him as she lays on her back..

"This is quite true. Thank you very much Tabitha." He says as he leans over and gives her another kiss.

"You have a busy day ahead of you Saito. You've got classes and then you have to start training The Ondine knights."

"Ah. Your right Siesta." He says as he gets out of bed and starts getting ready.

Tabitha gets up as well.

Siesta picks up Derflinger and hands him over to Saito. He gives her a good kiss as he grabs Derf from her.

She lets out a soft little moan of approval.

"Hey bro. I bet you never thought that you would ever end up like this, huh?" The sword says to him.

"That's for sure. I would have laughed if somebody would have told me that I would be in a situation like this before I got summoned by Louise."

"I've learned how to fight with a sword, and I can cast magic. I have fought many battles and ridden on dragons."

"And you have 4 beautiful women that love you." Derf adds.

"And that I also love in return."

This elicits a smile from the two ladies in the room with him.

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During a break, everyone is outside.

"It's really nice to have you in class Saito." Kirche says to him while she has her arms wrapped around her best friend Tabitha.

"It's going to take some getting used to, and some catching up. I need to catch up to where everyone else is at, and I still need a little help with some of the reading."

"That's why you have me." Tabitha states while she links her arm with his."

"That's right. You have little miss A student here at your side." Kirche adds as she teases her blue haired friend.

A blush forms on Tabitha.

"Are you actually okay being in the same class as Louise though?" The red haired Germanian asks.

"Actually, I am. It's been a while since everything happened, and I think that we have both just tried to put it behind us."

"That's real good. I would hate for there to be animosity between you two. A lot certainly has happened since you broke the bond with her. You got together with my friend here, you have fought a battle here at the school, and that battle in Albion. Then you come back from that to not only become a chevalier, but also gain yourself a personal maid. I bet you are really happy about that, aren't you Siesta?"

She nods her head up and down vigorously with a smile on her face.

"Not only do I not have to worry about someone trying to get me again, but I get to be with someone that I want to be with. Thank you for asking." She responds and gives a polite curtsy.

Kirche leans over to Tabitha and whispers into her ear.

"So have you had your way with him yet?"

Tabitha turns bright red at the thought.

"Don't tell me that you still haven't been with him yet?"

Tabitha just shakes her head.

Kirche frowns and puts her hands on her hips.

"Well that's no fun. I wanted to hear the juicy details."

"What are you two talking about?" Saito asks innocently.

Kirche waves him off.

"It's just girl talk."

"That is what is worrying me." He says in response.

"By the way Saito, I got word from my family that many of my countrymen are giving you their praise because of their safe return. A man named Friedrich gave a full report regarding how many survived, and he was even able to generate a full list of the people that didn't. The numbers that didn't were astoundingly low compared to what it could have been."

Saito smiles and raises a finger.

"Do you happen to know if he said anything about me by chance?"

Kirche smiles at him.

"I heard that he gave a very amusing report about you as well. I think that he said something about how you disrupted the harmony of his lists and that you caused great chaos every time you showed up."

Elsewhere, Friedrich sneezes and nearly drops his clipboard while he checks in a merchant in Albion.

Saito laughs.

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After classes were over for the day, Saito stands outside in front of Guiche, Gimli, Reynold, Malicorne, and a handful of other students.

Julio is also nearby, but he is observing.

"So all of you are the Ondine knights?" Saito asks.

Guiche steps forward while pointing his rose to himself and stands next to Saito.

"We are the Ondine knights and I am the captain."

"Thank you for that reiteration Guiche."

He looks at all of the students that are in front of him and takes a moment to reflect.

'I can't help but be reminded about the conversations that I've had with Colbert. He never liked the idea of children going into battle, and that is something that I have seen a lot of. Guiche and the others went out and fought in Albion. Tabitha was sent out on all kinds of terrible missions because of her uncle. Henrietta took over the kingdom and went to war. Agnes and the other musketeers are all pretty young themselves.'

Saito comes out of his reflections and gives a stern look to everyone.

'I have to make sure that all of these people under my wing stay alive.'

"The queen gave me orders to start training all of you. All of you better take this seriously. I am not going to go easy on any of you. I am not training you for glory. If glory is the only thing that you are looking for, then I really think that you need to think about things. I am going to train you to survive and protect. You are not allowed to die under my watch. Do I make myself clear?"

"But Saito aren't you the one with the most glory?" Guich says to him.

Saio whips his head in Guiche's direction and glares at him. This startles the son of a military commander.

Tabitha senses his mood change and watches from the window in her room.

"Can I have a word with you Guiche?"

"Sure thing Saito."

They step aside from the group.

Saito gives him a very serious look.

"So where are you getting that I have the most glory?"

"Oh. Come on Saito. You are being too modest. You gloriously won the battle of 70,000 in Albion." Guiche flamboyantly puts his hands in the air as he says this to Saito.

Saito's eye twitches and glares at Guiche again.

"Let me ask you something Guiche. Can you really call KILLING thousands of people that are being forced to attack you because they are under mind control glorious? CAN YOU?"

Guiche starts to open his mouth, but nothing comes out as Saito's words sink in.

"That's what I thought. Yes. I survived that ordeal. I guess that may be something not to be scoffed at, but that battle was far from glorious, Guiche."

"I'm sorry Saito. I never really thought about it that way."

"I know Guiche. That is one area you and I definitely don't have the same views on."

He puts his hand on Guiche's shoulder and in return, Guiche gives him a puzzled look.

"Guiche. I want us to get along. Especially since you will one day become a general yourself, just like your father. So let's make a deal. I will put up with SOME of your boisterousness and your flamboyant outbursts if you can do 2 things for me."

"And what is that?"

"Give my views on things some thought."

"And the second thing?" The blond haired mage asks.

"Take my training seriously."

Guiche extends out his hand to Saito, and Saito shakes it.

"I graciously accept your request." Guiche says with his usual flair.

"What did I get myself into?"

Derflinger pops out of his sheath.

"You DID say that you would put up with his flamboyancy."

Julio smirks and walks away.

'He is such an intriguing fellow. Most people wouldn't have even bothered.' The Romalian thinks to himself as he leans against a wall..

Just then, Julia and Guinevere walk up to Saito.

"It looks like we came just in time Saito." Aimee says.

"It's great to see the both of you."

He leans over to Guinevere and whispers into her ear.

"Is Tiffania here too?"

"She's not too far behind. We didn't want to show up at the same time." She whispers back.

He nods in understanding.

"Care to give me a hand right away?"

"Anything for you Saito." Aimee says in response with a blush on her cheeks.

Guinevere nudges her and she regains her composure.

"Do the two of you know where the practice swords are at?"

They both give him a reassuring nod.

"Then could you go get them for me? I wish to test the skill of all of the Ondine knights."

They nod and leave.

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An official messenger rides off from the Valliere household.

"Father! You have received a sealed letter from the queen." Eleonore says as she calls out for her father.

Duke Valliere and the Duchess walk up to their eldest daughter and she hands the letter to her father.

He finds a red wax seal on the envelope with the royal crest imprinted in it.

His eyes go wide from shock as he reads the letter.

"What?" He says in disbelief.

"Is everything okay?" Cattleya asks.

The Duke hands the letter over to his wife and she reads the letter.

Karin puts a hand to her forehead.

"He never ceases to amaze me." The heavy wind user says.

"What is it mother?" The two older Valliere sisters say in unison.

"This letter is to request the presence of your father and I at the palace. She wishes to discuss the possibility of your father becoming her ambassador in Albion, to govern there while she is here. She also said that your father was considered for this position after being highly recommended by Saito."

"What!" Eleonore shouts out.

Karin grabs her by the ear.

"What did I tell you about shouting out like that?"

"Ow, ow, ow. I'm sorry mother."

Duke Valliere swiftly turns around and starts walking away.

"Get our carriage ready."

Karin follows in suit.

"What the hell am I going to do about that boy?" He mutters under his breath as he walks away.

Cattleya looks at her sister.

"Saito just keeps doing more and more for our family. I don't think that father knows how to deal with this."

"I don't think anyone has ever done this much for the family, let alone it being done by someone whom we were indebted to."

A nod is given by Cattleya in agreement.

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Saito was in the middle of showing Guiche a sword move when he hears a very familiar voice shouting out his name.

"Saitoooooooooooooo!"

He turns his head to see Tiffania running toward him and waving her hand. Weylyn is running alongside her. She is wearing the school uniform. This causes everyone to turn their heads and look at her. She runs up to Saito and trounces him as she gives him a hug.

"Ooof!"

"It's so good to see you."

"Thanks. . . You too."

They both stand up.

"You know this beautiful maiden Saito?"

He nods to Guiche.

Guiches bows to her.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you. I'm Guiche De Gramont." Guiche says with his usual flair.

"I-It's n-nice to meet you too." Tiffania says skittishly. She holds out her hand to shake his.

He grabs her hands and kisses it.

Montmorency's eye twitches from where she was sitting off to the side.

'There he goes again. Why is he always doing this?'

She gets up from her chair and stomps over to Guiche, whom gets a very worried look on his face as she approaches. She then proceeds to grab him by the ear and walks away with him.

Saito shakes his head and then looks back to Tiffania.

"So are you starting classes with us tomorrow?"

She nods.

"That's really good to hear. I am almost done here if you want to wait. I could show you around the school afterwards."

"That would be wonderful."

As Saito returns his attention to the Ondine knights, Tiffania looks around for a place to sit and finds a familiar face among the people in the area.

'Siesta!' She thinks to herself as she starts walking toward her.

People start bombarding her and introducing themselves to her before she could even make it to Siesta.

She makes sure that her hat is on and covering her ears.

Kirche could tell that she was getting overwhelmed, and she could also tell that her wolf was getting agitated too.

Siesta wanted to intervene, but she couldn't because of her position.

"Alright boys. Let's not crowd the young lady okay." Kirche says as she gives a wink in Tiffania's direction.

The men surrounding Tiffa give a polite bow and back up to give her some room.

Kirche goes over and stands next to Siesta while she waits her turn to talk to Tiffania.

Siesta relaxes from the situation.

"Thank you Miss Zerbst." She formally says in a whispered tone to her.

"Think nothing of it Siesta. She is obviously a friend of yours and Saito's. By the way, you are looking very toned since you have been by his side."

"I have been doing some extra exercising on the side."

The red haired Germanian puts a hand in front of her mouth.

"So is that what they are calling it now?" She teasingly says to the maid.

Siesta's face turns bright red.

"Oh my god. That's not what I meant."

She waves Siesta off.

"Sure it's not."

She pouts, and Kirche giggles at her.

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That night.

Saito sits up in bed and puts his hand on his forehead.

"Ugh. Not again."

He gets out of bed and makes sure that Tabitha stays covered.

'I guess it's good that Siesta decided to stay in her room last night because she wanted to tidy up her room. I was able to get out of bed a little easier. This is going to drive me up a wall if this keeps up.'

He walks over to the window.

The cool air feels refreshing and the light from the two moons send a soft glow over everything.

He looks down and sees Tiffania in the courtyard with Weylyn.

'Thank god she is awake.'

He steps out of the window and floats down to the ground, which startles the young half-elf.

Tabitha stirs and sees him float out of the window. She could feel the stress on his heart and she gets up to see where he is going in the middle of the night.

After seeing Weylyn run up to him she realizes that it is Saito.

"Hello Saito. I was out here checking on Weylyn since we were in a new place. Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare again?"

He sighs and she gives him a comforting hug.

"Are they getting any better?"

He shakes his head.

"Not really. Just some nights are slightly different than others."

She shakes her head.

Tabitha uses a clairvoyance spell to listen in.

"It really makes me happy to see you Tiffania."

"I know, and I am happy too, but you need to talk to the others about this."

"I know. It's just hard."

'What are they talking about? Is he cheating on us? Wait. I can't judge him that quickly. He's not the kind of person to do that. I think.'

"You should probably try to get some more rest Saito. We have classes."

"Yeah. You're right. I just wanted to come see you."

She gives him another hug.

"I'm glad." She says to him as she puts a hand on his face."

'All I want to do is kiss him and take all of his pain away, but I can't do that. I have to be respectful of the others.' Tiffania thinks to herself.

Tabitha rushes back to the bed as Saito floats back up to their room.

He gets back into bed and curls back up against Tabitha. He gives her a hug and kisses the back of her neck.

She could feel a flood of loving emotions coming from him toward her.

'That at least makes me feel a little better about this until I really find out what is going on.'

She squeezes his hand in return and they both soon fall back to sleep.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 36.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is up to chapter 6

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest is still only at 1 chapter but I am hoping to release another chapter over the weekend.


	37. Chapter 37: Fitting In

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-Seven

Fitting In

Saito, Guiche, Gimli, Reynold, and Malicorne are all sitting at a table in the dining hall at the academy.

The room was actually surprisingly empty.

They were discussing battle tactics.

Tiffania was on the floor above at a table overlooking the area where Saito and the Ondine knights were at. She was watching Saito and admiring him from afar.

Aimee and Guinevere were at a table on the first floor where they could conveniently watch both Saito and Tiffania.

Siesta was also standing nearby Saito and listening to him speaking to the others.

"So. What I am trying to say is that I want to change the typical tactics that mages use in fighting."

Reynold shifts his glasses slightly.

"What exactly do you mean Saito?" Reynold asks in earnest.

"Well, think about usual mage battle occur. Most of the time mages will be at a distance from each other and throw spells at each other. Then in some instances you have mages that do have some fighting capability, but still rely on that tactic. For example, we had the fight between Colbert and Menneville."

A swarm of feelings of sadness and anger from that event rise up within all of the students.

"Menneville was very strong, and even had some fighting ability, but even he relied on the usual tactic of standing at a distance and throwing spells."

"But isn't that just how it is done?" says Gimli as he runs his hand through his green hair.

"Typically, yes." Saito says in response.

"But we have people like you, Saito, who are there for the close combat." Adds Guiche.

"That's right, and the support mages aren't there for fighting either. They stay at a safer distance and cast spells to help the group." Malicorne cheerfully adds.

"You forget Guiche. I can also cast magic. I can not only use my spells in close combat, but also at a distance. I can switch positions. What would happen if you got separated from the group and ended up fighting someone like me or Wardes? He was also a mage that was good at close combat. You need a plan B."

"B as in Barricade?" Asks Malicorne.

Saito puts his hand to his face and chuckles to himself.

'William Shatner would be laughing his ass off right now if he heard that.' Saito thinks.

"No Malicorne, not a barricade. A backup plan. You need tactics to switch to if your usual ones don't work. It's great to have a specialty, but you need to be able to work in any situation."

"So that is why you want us to learn to fight with a sword as well." Reynold says to Saito.

"That's right. You need to think outside of the box that you know of."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to learn. Besides, the chicks really seem to dig your fighting prowess with a sword."

Saito puts his face in his hand and shakes his head.

'I guess I should have seen that coming.' Saito inwardly scoffs.

Tiffania watches everyone interacting with Saito.

'He truly is such an amazing person. I fall in love with him even more every time I see him. I really hope I can convince the others to accept my love for him. I also need to know if he cares about me like he does the others as well.'

She watches him make some hand gestures while talking to Guiche and the others.

'He is working so hard with Ondine knights. I can't imagine that it would be easy to get people understand his way of thinking, but he makes it look so easy.'

She sighs.

'He hides his problems well from everyone it seems. He really needs to talk to the others before it really becomes a bigger issue. I bet he would feel a lot better if he talked to them. He can't keep bottling this up inside and only coming to me for comfort. I can tell that it is wearing him down.'

Another student appears in front of her, blocking her view from Saito. He is holding a gift box in his hand.

"Hello Tiffania. Please accept this gift from me." The student says as he holds out the gift to her.

Another student comes over and does the same thing.

"Please accept mine as well."

And the a couple more students appear around her as well.

This gets noticed by not only Saito, but the two musketeers as well.

'She has really gotten popular quick around here.' He muses for a moment.

One of the men pulls out a hat and offers it to her.

"Please accept this new hat. I think this one would look even more beautiful on you than the hat you are wearing."

She starts looking around frantically.

'I can't let them see my ears. I need a way out of this.'

Aimee and Guinevere notice this and casually get up from their position and head for the steps. Aimee puts a hand on the hilt of her sword.

A blond haired student with twin pigtails walks down the hallway towards Tiffania, and she followed by three other girls. One of the three girls has green hair, another has reddish colored hair, and another one has dirty blond hair.

'Crap this isn't a good situation at all. I might have to do something before this gets out of hand.

After noticing everything unfolding, Saito looks over to Guiche.

"Pardon me. I just remembered something that I needed to do. We shall have to continue this another time."

Guiche twirls his rose around.

"Ah. Very well. I guess we can let you go this time." Guiche says to him with a slightly exaggerated tone.

"It's not like we could really tell you no." Adds Reynold.

"Thanks guys."

Saito turns around to catch a glimpse of the situation just to see Tiffania holding onto her hat as she runs away from the table.

"I'm fine. Please excuse me. I'm sorry."

All of the students around the table get a look of rejection after she leaves the table.

Tiffania rushes by the girls that were walking down the hallway toward her while holding onto her hat and looking down.

The blond haired girl looks over her shoulder at Tiffania.

The other three girls turn around to watch Tiffania go down the hallway.

"How rude."

"Does she realize who she just passed by?"

"She didn't even look up to acknowledge her."

After noticing one crisis slightly diverted for now, Saito goes over to the musketeers with Siesta not too far behind. They were about to take off after Tiffania.

"Wait you two." He says softly to them.

"Yes Saito?" Guinevere asks.

"You can't get worked up that easily."

Aimee gets a puzzled look on her face and responds back.

"But the situation could have gotten bad."

"I understand Aimee, but you can't let your cover get blown either. I am also here. You can rely on me to help out."

"Thanks Saito. Shouldn't we go find her?" Guinevere asks.

"Yeah. Let's go do that."

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Back at the Palace.

Henrietta sits at a table in the courtyard with Agnes standing nearby.

There's a cup of tea in front her that she hasn't even touched.

Henrietta lets out a sigh as she puts her elbow on the table and leans her head on her hand.

"What's wrong your highness?"

"I miss him."

"Oh."

She gets back off of her hand and turns to Agnes.

"Don't you miss him too?"

Agnes slumps her shoulders.

"Yes. Yes I do, but he has been on the go a lot."

"And now he is at the academy. It is such a big to do whenever I decide to go there."

"It would be easier if he just had a place of his own, and then there wouldn't be such a hoopla."

Henrietta perks up after hearing that.

"That's a great idea Agnes!"

"What?"

"He needs a place of his own."

"But how?"

"I'm sure there has to be some kind of land available. I just have to find out."

"But how would you justify him getting it?"

Henrietta puts a hand to her chin.

"Well."

She shrugs.

"I'll come up with something."

Agnes puts her hand to her face.

Henrietta smiles and giggles at her.

"My queen?"

"You know that you don't have to call me that when we are alone."

"I know, but I am too used to doing it this way."

"Anyway. What's on your mind?"

"I am worried about your cousin and her involvement with Saito."

"Why is that?"

"She seems a little too attached to him."

"A lot of people seem pretty attached to him." The queen states.

"I think that she has feelings for him like the way that we do."

"She asked me how I would feel if somebody else wanted to become a part of our group. I have also seen them get together in the middle of the night when I was at her cabin."

This takes the queen a little by surprise, but not entirely.

"Well I can honestly say that it wouldn't surprise me if she did have feelings for him."

"You would be okay if she wanted to be part of our group?" Agnes asks in shock.

"It would spread him a little thinner, but I did say that he could have mistresses. If I didn't allow that, then you and Siesta would have been left behind."

Agnes stands down a little bit.

'She's right. I would still be only painfully admiring him from a distance.'

"But what about the fact that she is your cousin? Wouldn't that bother you?"

Henrietta looks at Agnes.

"Have you forgotten? I was in love with prince whales."

"And he was also a cousin of yours." Agnes admits.

Henrietta nods.

Agnes crosses her arms.

"I am still bothered by the whole idea of adding another. I am not a fan of sharing him."

"I see your point Agnes, but give it some thought. She was the one that helped him heal after the big battle."

"I will because you asked, . . . Hen . . . . Henrietta."

The queen smiles at her.

"The main thing that is bothering me about this is that he is meeting her secretly. I told him that all he had to do was tell us about it. I should ask the other two what they think."

Agnes nods in agreement.

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Later on.

Saito and Siesta are walking across the commons.

"I really hope she is going to be all right here. This is a lot for her to take on." He says to the maid sincerely.

"You really care about her don't you?"

He nods his head.

"I owe her a lot, especially for everything that she did for me after that battle. She is also a good person as well."

"She certainly is. She was really nice to us back at her cabin considering that we pretty much just barged in on her. She also helped you out without even knowing you. She seems really attached to you." The maid points out.

"You think so?"

Siesta nods.

"Women notice these things."

"Well. It's probably just because I am her first friend in god knows long long."

'I wonder if that is all.' The maid thinks.

Just then he sees Tiffania backing up from a doorway.

"You are being rude." The girl from before with green says to Tiffa.

"I don't understand." Tiffania says in response with confusion.

"This is Beatrice Evonne Von Guldenhorf, princess from the Grand Duchy of Guldenhorf." Says the girl with dirty blond hair.

"A princess?"

"You get to be in the same class as her and you haven't even properly introduced yourself."

"I'm sorry your highness." Tiffania says to the blond haired princess apologetically.

Beatrice has her hands on her hips and giving Tiffania a stern look.

"You call that an apology. At least take that dirty hat of yours off first." The princess says to her.

Tiffania grabs onto her hat wearily.

"But. . "

"I said Take of that hat." The princess reiterates.

Saito briskly walks over to them.

'Great. Beatrice is involved. I barely met her myself, but I was told about her from Henrietta.'

He walks over and stands in front of Tiffania.

"Saito De Chevalier De Hiraga. What do you think you are doing?" Beatrice asks.

"Princess Guldenhorf, this is an institution for education. This is not a place for bullying, and that is exactly what the four of you are doing."

She stands there with a smug look on her face and is about to say something to Saito.

"Princess Guldenhorf. It is so good to see you." Guiche says to her as he nervously walks up to her.

"Hello Mr. Gramont. It's been a while."

"That frown on your face is ruining your beautiful eminence."

She blushes from the compliment.

"But. . "

He leans over and whispers into her ear.

"A mature lady such as yourself would just ignore something as trivial as this."

She blushes a little more.

"Perhaps you have a point." She says back to him.

She turns away from everyone.

"It's fine. Let's go."

The three girls look at her in shock.

"But. . . " The green haired girl starts to say.

"I said it's fine."

Before they walk away, Beatrice turns and points at Tiffania.

"I'm letting you go today, but I expect you to take off that hat next time."

She turns to walk away and starts laughing. The tree other girls follow her and mimic the laugh.

'I swear. That laugh reminds me of Naga from Slayers. She certainly doesn't have Naga's chest size though.' Saito thinks to himself.

Guiche lets out a sigh of relief after they walk away, and Saito turns to him.

"What was that all about Guiche.?"

"Don't get mad at me. I just helped diffuse that whole situation."

Saito holds up his hands defense.

"Alright Guiche."

"Anyway. She may be an underclassman of mine, but she is not someone that you want to have angry at you. She is not only rich and a princess, but she has her personal guards with her. Her guards are the Luft Panzer Ritter. They are the strongest knights in all of Halkeginia."

"They deployed a whole knight regiment for their daughter?"

Guiche nods.

"They are known for their ostentation." Guiche adds.

Saito's eyes get narrow and looks at Guiche.

"Like you."

"Don't look at me like that, I'm not that bad Saito. I just like to look cool."

"Hmph."

He looks over and gives Tiffania soft smile.

"You let me know if they keep giving you any trouble."

'Worst case scenario, I will have to go to Henrietta about this. Maybe I could have one of the musketeers get a letter to her. I am not going to let Tiffania get bullied around by some snobby noble.'

"But I can't keep troubling you Saito."

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The next day.

The queen is getting into her carriage.

"I can see that Princess Guldenhorf is going to be a problem. I guess I will have to go tell her to cease what she is doing."

Then she gets a goofy grin and then looks at Agnes.

"Plus we to go see Saito." She adds while looking at Agnes.

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Tiffania stands outside of the door to the classroom wearing her normal clothes and a brown elven robe that belonged to her mother. The hood of the robe is up so that it covers her ears.

"I have to be strong like Saito. I can't be a bother to him any longer. No matter what it takes."

She takes a deep breath and lets it out.

She opens the door.

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Inside of the classroom.

The teacher, miss Chevreuse, was going through attendance.

"Miss Westwood?" She calls out.

"Is she absent?" One of the male students in her class says to another.

Beatrice sits smugly in her seat.

"Miss Westwood?" The teacher calls out again.

The door to the classroom opens up and Tiffania walks in. She stands in the front by the desk.

"Miss Westwood what are you wearing?" Miss Chevreuse asks in shock.

"This is a momento left by my mother."

"But wait. Only nomads wear clothes like that. Are you an . . . an . . "

Tiffania pulls down the hood and her long ears become revealed to everyone.

"An elf!" a student screams out.

Everyone, including the teacher, either run, or duck and hide under a desk in fear.

Tiffania holds out her hands to try to quell everyone.

"Wait! Everyone please calm down!" Tiffania calls out.

Beatrice sits behind her desk for a moment as she fumes.

'I can't forgive her. She's an elf and she became more popular than ME.' Beatrice thinks to herself.

"I just want to be friends with everyone!" Tiffania says while still trying to quell everyone's fear.

"You lie. No elf would do such a thing." The girl with the reddish hair declares.

Sadness strikes Tiffa's facial features.

"It's true. Elves and humans have been enemies for many years, but I am born from an elf and a human. So . . "

"So you're a half-elf. Then you need to prove which god you believe in." Beatrice tells her with a stern face.

"Huh." Is all that Tiffania could say before Beatrice called out again.

"Knights!"

The Luft Panzer Ritter knights burst in through the windows of the academy classroom and scare everyone in there.

"Arrest her. She is to undergo an inquisition."

The dragon knights grab onto her and take her away on their dragons.

They go outside, into the courtyard and drop her to the ground with a yelp.

"What is this?" Tiffa asks out of fear.

"I am a bishop, and I am giving you an inquisition."

Students start rushing in and forming a circle around the group.

Beatrice's three followers stand proudly nearby.

"You are going to need to prove your faith to me by going into a vat of boiling water. If you are a follower of Brimir, then he will keep you alive at the temperature that we put it at. If you can't do that, then you can just go back home and I will forget all of this."

"I refuse to go back home. I refuse to waste the opportunity that so many people helped me get. I also pity you that you feel that you have to do this." Tiffa says while shaking her head.

"This is crazy! Stop this at once!" Saito says from the side.

Lots of gasps are heard while students watch him walk inside of the circle and by Tiffania. His eyes are glowing dark blue.

Fear starts coming over Beatrice and she starts to sweat. She tries to steady herself though.

Guiche is off to the side with the rest of the Ondine knights.

"Everyone, be prepared. I don't wish to act upon Beatrice like this, but I will not let Saito do this alone. Although, I bet he probably could by the looks of it. He looks rather scary right now." Guiche admits.

Reynold nods his head with understanding.

Tabitha flies down next to Saito along with Siesta and Kirche.

Siesta reaches into the bow that is from her outfit in the back, but doesn't pull anything out.

"How dare you interrupt an inquiry?" Beatrice shouts out.

Louise steps away from Julio and into the circle as well.

Her arms are crossed as she stands in front of Beatrice.

"How can I help you Miss Valliere?" Beatrice asks with annoyance in her voice.

"Do you even have the authority to do this?"

"Of course I can. I have my license back home."

Louise narrows her eyes.

"You are a liar then."

"What! How?" Beatrice retorts.

"You can only perform an inquiry if you have the written permission from the Romalian head secretary, and you obviously don't have that."

Julio steps up as well.

"This is quite true. You have no authority to do this." He adds.

Beatrice's three followers start backing away in fear.

"That's not good." The green haired girl says to the others.

Beatrice takes a big gulp.

"What is the meaning of this?" Henrietta says while walking up with Osmond and the other musketeers next to her.

Everyone bows in her presence.

Saito lowers his guard and his eyes turn back to normal.

"This student was trying to perform an inquisition without the proper permission. This is quite a treasonous act." Julio says to the queen.

Henrietta glares at Beatrice.

"You dare try to perform an inquisition without having the proper permission." Henrietta says angrily.

Beatrice takes another gulp.

"I came here to inform you that she is now under my protection and that further actions toward her will not be tolerated. She is a student of this school."

Henrietta turns to Julio.

"I apologize for her behavior. Please do not reflect her actions upon Tristan itself. I wish to keep the peace between our countries so I ask how we should handle this situation."

Beatrice drops to her knees and awaits her possible fate.

"Perhaps we should ask Tiffania." Julio says to Tiffania.

Julio and Henrietta turn to face tiffania.

The blond haired elf slowly walks up to Beatrice and kneels down in front of her.

"I just want to be friends with everyone. She acted out of fear. Please don't be rash with her."

Beatrice starts balling hers eyes out and hugs Tiffania.

Julio and Henrietta both smile.

"I am satisfied with that for now, but her Bishop's license will have to be further discussed."

"Thank you for your leniency Mr. Chesare."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is still at chapter 6

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is still at chapter 2


	38. Chapter 38: The Girl's Bath

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Saito's other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Girls Bath

Evening, after things had settled down after the incident.

Henrietta is sitting in a chair in Tiffa's room. It's just the two of them. Agnes is standing outsided of the room.

"Are you alright now?"

"Yes I am. Thanks to you and the others."

"All I wanted to do was be less of a burden. I wanted to be strong like Saito."

"You were very strong and brave like Saito. That took a lot of courage to reveal yourself, knowing that there is so much prejudice with elves."

"But so much trouble was still caused. Saito still ended up getting involved because of me."

"I don't think that he minded, but I understand what you are trying to tell me. But everything is okay now, and hopefully there shouldn't be any more problems. Everyone got to see how kind you were. Not many people would have been as kind as you were."

Tiffania sighs.

"Thanks cousin."

"So you really look up to him, don't you?" Henrietta asks.

Tiffania nods.

"I really do. He is such a strong person despite his situation. I feel like him and I are similar in the respect that we are both strangers in this world. He is so kind and so strong."

Henrietta smiles at her elven cousin.

"So is he the reason why you are trying so hard?"

She nods.

"I really don't think that I would have been able to this if it wasn't for him. I am really grateful to him for everything. Whenever I start to get a little nervous, I start to think about him and I instantly calm down."

A light blush forms on Tiffania's cheeks.

'Maybe Agnes was right, and she does have feelings for him. It's still hard to say though.'

Henrietta gets up and gives Tiffania a hug.

"So do you still want to go to school here?"

"Yes. Yes I do." Tiffania says affirmatively.

"That is good to hear, and everything will be fine as I think that you have a lot of people here to support you."

"Thank you."

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Shortly after her talk with Tiffania, Henrietta went to her room and requested Saito's presence.

Aimee and Guinevere were standing guard outside of her room while Agnes delivered a letter to Tabitha and Siesta from her.

After Saito walks in and shuts the door behind him Henrietta instantly grabs his hand and leads him to a small, elegant looking couch and makes him sit down.

He gets surprised from this, but goes along with it.

She sits on his lap with her legs stretched out across the couch.

She then grabs the sides of his face, pulls him in for a kiss, and then proceeds to start making out with him.

'Well isn't she a little forceful today. I guess I can't blame her though.'

Blushes form on both of their faces as they enjoy each other's contact.

Henrietta could feel the passion in his kiss and enjoys every bit of it

Her soft lips touch his and their tongues intertwine and they lose themselves in the moment for a while.

They eventually break their lip-lock.

Both of them are breathing heavily.

"My, my, your highness. It is very good to see you too."

Henrietta feels something hard beneath her.

"I could tell." She says teasingly to him.

He turns bright red.

She covers her mouth and giggles.

"I had to properly greet you. I hate it when I can't see you. I am sure it might be easier for you because you have Tabitha and Siesta, but it gets pretty frustrating at times."

"I get frustrated too. I love all of you very much, and I enjoy everyone's company."

Her heart flutters for a moment when she hears him say that.

'Awwwwwwwww.' She inwardly swoons.

"I will have to make sure that you and Agnes get a few moments too. I don't think it's fair for her either."

He nods.

"Thank you for keeping watch over my cousin. She is very happy that you are around."

He blushes from hearing that.

"I feel bad though that she is having such a hard time already."

"She is doing well though. I think that things will be better for her after today's incident."

He puts his hand on his face.

"Ugh. What a mess that was. I am glad that both Louise and you stepped in. I think that it might have gotten pretty ugly otherwise."

She nods.

"You were scary looking." She says seriously, but half teasingly.

"Sorry."

She shakes her head.

"You were just protecting her. You sure were intimidating though. I am surprised that she was able to stay as composed as she was, especially when facing somebody such as yourself."

"Thanks."

"So how are the Undine knights doing?"

"They are doing okay. Their sword skills are improving little by little. I am training them hard, but they have been pretty receptive to it. Aimee and Guinevere have been really helpful."

"That is great to hear."

She gives him a very loving hug.

"I am so happy to have you in my life Saito. Are you happy with all of us Saito?"

He gives her a very solid and reassuring smile while looking into her eyes..

"I could never be happier."

She leans her head against him and sighs with a little bit of relief.

'I am still unsure anything is going on between him and my cousin, but I definitely say for sure that he still loves me and the other girls.'

She looks back up at him.

"I will be leaving tomorrow, but it will be after you, her, the musketeers, and the Undine knights all train together."

He gives her a nod.

She sits there a little bit longer in his arms and closes her eyes a moment while she enjoys the comfort of being in his embrace.

A knock on the door breaks her momentary bliss.

She begrudgingly gets up, fixes herself, and answers.

"Yes."

"Agnes has returned your highness."

"Very well."

She turns to Saito, and gives him a nice soft kiss on the lips.

"Oaky honey, now go spend some time with Agnes. I mean go have a strategic meeting with her."

The term of affection that she gave him slightly catches him off guard.

'I guess this shows how much our relationship really has progressed.'

He gives her a smile.

"Thanks. I love you."

He gives her a kiss in return.

He walks out into the hallway and looks at Agnes.

"The queen said that we are supposed to have a strategic meeting?"

Agnes keeps her composure from hearing that and just nods.

"Follow me." She simply says as she turns around.

He follows her.

She takes him to the only place that she could think of.

"Your room?" Saito asks in a whispered tone..

She sighs.

"I couldn't think of anywhere that would have been nice." She whispers back.

They start to hear footsteps coming down the hall.

Agnes shoves him through the door and quickly goes inside and shuts the door.

She sighs as she leans against the door.

Saito sits up and starts rubbing the back of his head.

"Did you really have to do that?"

"Sorry."

She walks over to him and helps him up.

"Not much to look at considering it is set up like a guest room."

"That doesn't bother me."

She looks around the room and then at him.

"So what do we do now?" She asks.

After taking off his chevalier mantle, he decides to sit on the bed with his back against the headboard. He pats the bed and motions for her to sit in front of him.

She takes off all of her musketeer gear in front of him and changes into a simple shirt and shirt.

Saito enjoyed the view that she gave him as she changed.

She blushes as she feels his gaze.

She joins him on the bed, and sits between his legs with her back against him.

She could feel the warmth of his comforting embrace as he wraps his toned arms around her waist.

She rewards him with a small moan.

"I can't even begin to tell you how nice this feels after a long day. I would love it if you did this more often."

"I will certainly have to keep it in mind."

"It's nice to have some alone time with you again."

"I agree."

They intertwine fingers.

"You still owe Henrietta a date, but do you think . . . . . "

She starts to trail off.

"What is it Agnes?"

"Do you think that we could also have a date too? I know it would be kind of hard considering that we can't show our affection for one another in public, but I really want a day with you"

"I'm sure we could figure something out. You deserve a date too."

She smiles and blushes.

With her neck slightly exposed to him, he starts to kiss her neck a few times.

This sends tingles throughout her whole body.

'Crap. This feels way too good.'

She turns her head and starts kissing him.

After a few moments they stop and she leans back against him again.

'Even if I am worried about him, I still love him.'

"I know that I don't really say much to you when I am around the others. I'm not one to really express myself unless I'm angry. But I want to let you know that I really love you, and I don't know what I would've done if you didn't survive that fight."

"I can't even begin to tell you how happy that makes me feel. As long as I know that, I won't question you love for me."

She takes a bitter-sweet gulp.

'That makes me feel a little guilty for questioning him.'

He wraps his arms around her and kisses the side of her head.

She blushes lightly from his contact.

"Do you think that you could grant me another small request?"

"What is that?"

"Do you think that you could just lay with me and . . . cuddle . . . with me until I fall asleep? You've gotten to do that with Tabitha and Siesta and I have been kind of jealous."

He smiles at her.

"I absolutely can."

A big smile comes across her face.

He gets out from behind her and they lay down next to each other in bed.

He leans over her and kisses her a little bit before she fully settles in. She runs her hand through his hair while they kiss. When they finish, she curls her back up against him, and he spoons her.

"Good night Saito."

"Good night to you too Agnes."

He starts stroking her hair and her back until she falls asleep.

He gives her a kiss on her forehead before he heads back to Tabitha's room.

She smiles instinctively after he kisses her head.

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Siesta wakes up in the morning and sees Saito sitting at the table and looking out the window.

She rubs her eyes to get the sleepiness out of them.

After she slowly gets out of bed, she comes up behind him, gives him a morning kiss, and runs her hands down his chest.

"Are you alright darling?" She asks him in a whisper.

"Just a lot on my mind."

'I can tell he's tired. He's had a lot of tired days recently.'

"You've had a lot happen ever since everything happened in Albion." She states to him.

He gives a nod in agreement.

She starts rubbing his neck and shoulders, which elicits a moan from him.

She smiles.

Tabitha starts to wake up as well and sees Siesta rubbing his shoulders.

Tabitha uses her magic to start getting changed after she also gives Saito a good morning kiss.

"I suppose I should also get dressed. I've got training today with everyone."

Siesta frowns when he starts to get up.

"You should have gotten more sleep. You don't want to accidently get hurt from being tired."

He gives her a nod.

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Henrietta is sitting in Tabitha's room with the other girls while Agnes is outside with Saito.

"So I wanted to meet with both of you because Agnes and I were bothered by some things that she observed revolving around Saito."

Tabitha and Siesta both get a worried looks on their faces.

"Is something wrong with him?" Siesta eagerly asks.

"I am not going to try to sugar coat this, so I am just going to outright say it. Agnes is concerned that he might be seeing Tiffania behind our backs.

Siesta put a hand over her mouth in shock, but the accusation doesn't seem to faze Tabitha.

"He wouldn't! He loves us way too much to do such a thing." Siesta protests.

Henrietta gives the maid an uncertain look.

"I want to believe that too, but Agnes has given me some evidence to back her accusation up."

Tabitha has the same look as Henrietta.

"I love him too, but I have also witnessed some things."

"Agnes told me that she had seen him get pretty cozy with her that night that all of you were at her cabin. Then she also told me that Tiffania asked her how she would feel if another person wanted to become his girlfriend."

A bunch of confusing emotions come over Siesta's thoughts as she sits there and listens.

"I have also seen him go out to her in the middle of the night. They said how they were happy to see each other. She told him that he needs to talk to us."

"I haven't judged him yet, but this is pretty discerning evidence."

Siesta shakes her head.

"I still can't believe that he would do something like that. It doesn't seem like him. Every time I kiss him I feel his passion for me. Don't you two feel it as well?"

The other two blush from her remark.

"I can't argue that with you." Henrietta says as she vividly remembers last night.

Tabitha nods in agreement.

"I feel his love too." Tabitha calmly adds.

"What if they do love each other though?" The Queen adds.

"She is your cousin." Says Tabitha.

Henrietta nods.

"But if you recall, I was also in love with prince Wales, and he was also my cousin."

"We should wait to find out more. I don't want to accuse him if he really isn't doing anything behind our backs."

"That's fair." The Queen and the Princess both say.

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Saito was taking a casual walk in the evening after Agnes and the Queen had left.

It had gotten dark outside, but there was still plenty of light shining off of the moons.

'I love being with Siesta, but I am glad she decided to take over some chores. It gives me a little time to myself to take a leisure walk to try and clear my head. A lot of the girls decided to all go to the girls' bath together. I bet Aimee and Guinevere are going to enjoy it. It'll be good for Tiffa too. She'll get to have some bonding time with the girls as well.'

Just then, he hears some talking and what sounds like digging.

He walks towards the sound, and sees Malicorne, Gimli, Reynold, and Guiche.

Guiche's familiar was digging a hole in the ground.

"What are you guys up to?"

Guiche looks over to Saito and smiles.

"It's good to see you boss." Reynold happily says when he sees Saito.

Malicorne is rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"I am glad you're here Saito. We were just about to get you. We saw how worn out you've been, se we wanted to do something for you to help you out."

Saito crosses his arms and looks at the group skeptically.

Gimli runs his hand through his green hair in a way that mimics Guiche when he is trying to show off.

"You see. We are digging a tunnel to the girl's bath. We figured that getting a peek on the girls might help you out."

"One, How is that supposed to help me out from being worn out?"

All of them start looking at each other and scratching the backs of their heads.

Reynold gets a brilliant idea in his head and smacks his fist on his hand as he makes his declaration.

"Seeing the girls will take your mind off of whatever is troubling you and calm your mind."

Saito puts his hand on his hips and shakes his head.

"Would leering at potentially naked girls really calm my mind?"

They all start looking at each other again.

"And two, are you sure that there isn't any other motive in this for you?"

Malicorne, Guiche, and Gimli all turn away and start whistling.

Reynold covers his face in shame.

Saito squats down near the hole.

"I thought so. Besides, don't you think that it might be a little unwise to peek on girls that can cast magic?"

"It is something that we must take the chance as men."

Saito shakes his head.

"I don't think that I am going to partake in this little fiasco."

"But boss?" Reynold says in protest.

Saito shakes his head.

"No thanks guys. I am going to pass on this one. I really think that this is a bad idea." Saito says as he walks away.

As he walks away the other guys look at each other.

"What should we do?" Gimli asks.

"Well, we can't just let what we started go to waste." Malicorne suggests.

Everyone nods and continues the dig.

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In the girl's bath.

A lot of the girls from the school were in the giant bath house relaxing and chatting out the evening.

Water was flowing into the giant bath from lion statues places at various points throughout the room. Steam filled the room from the hot water. It was very elegantly designed with elaborate architecture everywhere and beautiful murals were painted on the walls.

Some girls were sitting topless in the bath while they enjoy it's heat.

Kirche is lying face down and topless on a towel with a rather small towel barely covering her butt.

Tabitha was sitting at the edge of the bath with just her legs inside of it. She has a towel wrapped around her small-framed body and she is reading a book.

Montmorency was busy talking with a couple of the younger classmates, including Katie.

Tiffania had managed to get away from Beatrice and the three girls to go sit by Aimee and Guinevere. A substantial amount of cleavage was showing even though she was trying to hide it with her towel.

Louise slowly slinks into the bath alongside Tiffania. She can't help but notice the difference in chest sizes between Tiffania and herself, but she tries look past that issue.

"Hello Tiffania."

"Hello Louise. Thank you for helping me yesterday."

"Your welcome. I am glad that you are okay."

Tiffania gets a puzzled look on her face.

"Why did you help me, even though you don't know who I am?"

"I knew that you were somebody that was friends with Saito and the others. That was all I needed to know."

Saito starts communicating with Tabitha.

'Hey Tabitha?'

She gets a silly smirk on her face.

'Are you trying to get in my head just so that you could feel like you're here lover boy?' She teasingly thinks to him.

She faintly giggles to herself when she feels his confusion and embarrassment from her last couple of words.

'I . . . .er . . . uh . . . That's not what I meant for this to seem like.'

'I am sure it wasn't, Saito. Is something wrong?'

'I was just wondering, are you, Tiffania, and the musketeers pretty covered up?'

Tabitha narrows her eyes.

'Yes. Why?'

'Just wondering.'

Just then a faint echo of voices is heard.

"Did somebody hear that?" A fellow student asks.

Everyone starts

Tabitha casts a clairvoyance spell to listen closer and she hears a couple of the Undine knights voices.

"Get out of the way Malicorne, it's my turn!"

"Give me a little longer Gimli." Malicorne whines back.

"Don't hog it all to yourselves guys." Reynold adds.

"As captain. . . ." Guiche starts to say.

'Are you peeping on us Saito?' The blue-haired princess asks.

'I walked away from them. I figured that it was probably going to be a bad idea.'

'I think that you were quite right. Go hide somewhere.'

'Oh boy. The dining hall is nearby, I will hide there.'

'Okay.'

Tabitha pinpoints a peephole and points to it.

"There." She says to the others.

All of the girls rush out of the bath and start getting dressed. Aimee and Guinevere grab their swords.

"People dare try to peep on us? They will pay dearly."

"Let's get them!" a bunch of the girls shout.

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Inside of the dining hall.

Saito was standing in the shadow of a pillar while he waited for Tabitha.

"I guess it's a good thing that you didn't go in with the others, eh partner." Derf says to him.

"Yeah. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

A breeze fills the room suddenly.

'Is that you Tabitha?'

She appears in the room, and Saito could tell from the moonlight that all she had on was her towel.

He motions for her to come over.

He smiles at her when she does.

She blushes.

"I rushed out ahead of everyone as fast as I could so that I could meet you here."

"You look beautiful Tabitha. The light from the moon makes you absolutely radiant."

She blushes a little more.

She gets a slight chill and presses against him.

He takes his mantle and envelops her inside of it with him.

She smiles at him and he gives her a kiss.

"Can't let you catch a cold, now can we?"

She leans her head against his chest.

He hears the doors to the dining hall start to open and he turns so that Tabitha is against the pillar. She pulls him tightly against her. Because he was holding his cloak around her, his hand ends up getting pressed firmly against her butt.

She lets out a small moan from the contact, but luckily it was muffled over from the sounds of two sets of footsteps.

The footsteps stop.

Saito and Tabitha share a slightly worried look.

'I don't think that it would be good if we were seen like this.'

She lightly nods in agreement.

"Whoever is behind the pillar, you better come out. We can see your cloak."

He recognizes the voice.

It's the musketeers. I will handle this. I should be okay.

He lets go of Tabitha and walks out.

Aimee and Guinevere stand down when they see it's Saito.

An explosions could be seen from the window of fire and water.

'That must have been Kirche and Montmorency.' He inwardly muses.

"Oh. Hello Saito. We didn't know it was you in here." Guinevere says to him.

"Yeah. It's me."

"You . . . aren't one of the . . . peeping toms were you?" Guinevere asks.

'It almost sounds like she didn't really want to ask me that.' He ponders.

Aimee is standing next to her and blushing while touching her index fingers.

"I mean . . . If you were . . . If you really wanted to see that badly . . . . then all you had to do was . . . " Aimee says sheepishly.

Guinevere blushes deeply and gives a shocked look at Aimee. She then gives Aimee a quick backhanded smack to her side and smiles at Saito.

He shakes his head.

"I am not part of any peeping. I was just . . . admiring the view from in here. The view of the moons from these windows is amazing."

They both look out.

"Wow! You are right. This really is a beautiful view." Guinevere says.

"I am sorry we bothered you. Come on Guinevere. Let's go see if all of them were found yet."

After a nod, they both leave.

He sighs and walks back over to the pillar where Tabitha was at.

She pulls him close again.

They were about to kiss when she hears another noise.

They both whip their heads in the direction of the noise and see a bunch of small dolls walking out of nowhere.

Tabitha tenses up for a moment.

"Ghost." Was all that she could manage to say before passing out in his arms.

He holds onto her so that she doesn't fall.

He watches the dolls cautiously.

Music starts to faintly play in the background and the dolls start to dance with each other.

'I would probably be scared shitless if this happened to me before coming to this world.'

He continues to watch them dance.

"Is this a ball for dolls?"

He wraps his mantle around Tabitha to keep her warm.

She starts to wake up again, but then passes out as soon as she sees the dolls.

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After Tabitha went back to retrieve her clothes, She went back to her room with Saito.

As they open the door to her room, they see Siesta standing there with her hands on her hips. Her cheeks were also puffed out.

"What the hell went on out there? I was worried and about to come looking for you two."

Tabitha and Saito both look at each other and chuckle.

"It's a long story." He says to her.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is still at chapter 6, but not for long.

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is still at chapter 2


	39. Chapter 39: The Sleipnir Ball

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Thirty-Nine

The Sleipnir Ball

Day of the ball, dining hall.

"How could you not tell us about that Saito? Do you realize how big of a deal that was?" Guiche says while practically shouting.

Saito puts his hand to his face.

'I wanted to keep a low profile about it so I didn't take the chance of blowing Tabitha's mom's cover.' Saito thinks to himself.

"You had a battle with the living legend Karin of the Heavy Wind boss." Reynold says.

"It was just a sparring session." Saito tried to say to them in defense.

"My father said that the two of you left most of the battlefield devastated, he was told that you two were head to head."

Saito scratches the back of his head.

"I don't know about that." Is his reply.

"Are you trying to do that thing called being modest again Saito?" Gimli asks.

Just as he says that, two other male students were walking by and Saito overhears them talking.

"Did you hear about those monster bird sightings?"

"I heard that was just a rumor. It actually hasn't been verified."

Saito gets up from the table and walks over to the other students.

"Excuse me?"

The two students look at him.

"How can we help you Saito?"

"What was that about a giant bird?"

"It's just a rumor, but supposedly there is a giant bird flying around at night. It has been sighted amongst the clouds over the past couple of nights, but I heard that when the dragon knights tried to investigate after a sighting, it was gone. That's all we know though."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Have a good day Saito."

As the two students walk away, Saito puts a hand on his chin.

'Is it really some kind of bird, or could Sheffield be up to something again? I know that Joseph wants the void users.'

He walks with a heavy step back to the table.

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Miss Chevreuse stands in front of a curtain. Aimee and Guinevere stand guard at either side.

The musketeers wave at Saito.

"Hey Saito!"

He waves and smiles back at them.

"So we enter here to get transformed?"

The teacher nods.

"So what was the purpose of this again?" He asks.

"This is to bring equality amongst everyone here. It is so that everyone can mingle with each other regardless of status. Even the princess is in there adhering to the rules of the ball." She tells him.

"Almost all of the musketeers are the only exceptions because we are guards here." Aimee adds.

"Agnes was the only exception to that. The Queen requested that she also participate for some reason." Guinevere also says to him.

The two musketeers look at each other and chuckle.

"Of course, we could still tell who she is though."

"This should be interesting." He says.

Miss Chevreuse holds the curtain open for Saito.

He walks into a dimly lit room with a large, oval mirror.

He scratches his chin and muses to himself.

'I think that I am going to have fun with this.'

He gazes into the mirror and he starts to transform.

Everything on him starts turning black with grey outlines. Metal plates form on his boots to protect the front of the ankle. His cloak turns into a trench coat. His shirt turns into a black t-shirt.

"Woah! Hey partner, who are you supposed to be?" Derf asks as he pops out of his sheath.

"Hmmm. How to explain this in a way that you would understand. I am a hero named Kirito from a book called sword art online."

"And he looked like this?"

'Always the hero.' Serena muses in his head.

'I don't know how much of a hero I am. I just try to protect the people I care for.' He responds back to her.

'And always modest as well my avatar.'

'Thank you Serena.'

"Yep. Too bad you didn't change too. He had a pretty cool looking sword too. Not that you're not cool." He responds back to derf.

"I'm not sure if I should take offense to that." Derflinger says with annoyance.

"It's okay Derf. I also see that my voice didn't change either."

"Nope."

"Well Derf, let us go find the others."

He walks through the other curtain into the ball.

He walks out to see a sea of various people with varying ages.

After a couple steps, he is greeted by a distinguished gentleman with orange hair.

Then man shifts his glasses.

"Saito?"

"Reynold?" Saito responds back hesitantly as he recognizes the voice.

"I thought so. I could've picked you out from across the room."

"Why is that Reynold."

"One, your facial features are very similar to the way that they were before. Two, the outfit doesn't look like anything I have ever seen in Halkeginia. And I spotted Derflinger."

"Very astute of you. I will certainly keep that in mind for future reference."

"Thanks boss. Who are you supposed to be?"

"A hero in a story from where I come from. What about you."

"My father."

"That is very admirable Reynold."

"Thank you again. The others are over there." He says to Saito as he points over in a direction.

Over in the direction he pointed at, there is a knight, a person that looks like a girl version of Malicorne, and Guiche.

"Malicorne is very disturbing Reynold."

He sadly nods in agreement with Saito.

"Why is it that Guiche doesn't surprise me?"

"Guiche is Guiche." Reynold says in response.

"Let me guess. He said something like: There is no one more perfect than myself." Saito says while mimicking Guiche's movements.

"Hey! That's pretty good boss."

They both chuckle for a moment.

Just then, Guiche looks over.

"Hey Reynold is that Saito?"

A nod is given in response.

A beautiful, elegant looking woman pops out from the curtains that has long platinum hair that has a slight blue tint to it which catches Guiche's eye.

Guiche kneels on one knee and kisses her hand.

"And who may I ask is the person who poses as this beautiful woman?" Guiche asks while showing off his usual flair.

"Osmond." Is uttered from the woman's body with the principal's voice.

Guiche's body stiffens and horror strikes his facial features while his whole world crumbles around him.

Hysterical laughter is heard and Saito looks over in its direction. It comes from a woman that looks like Henrietta, but has Montmorency's laugh.

"Serve's him right." She says to a woman in the form of Cattleya.

'I wonder if that is Louise. I can't picture anyone else taking her form, but I could be wrong.' He muses to himself.

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While within an invisible cloak, Sheffield slinks her way into the mirror room.

Her form is revealed as she unveils herself from within it.

There is an added whip-like scar that is a couple inches long across her right cheek.

She puts a hand on the side of the mirror with the intent of knocking it over.

Whipping her head in the direction of the other set of curtains, she hears a female voice call out a name that instantly changes her facial expression.

"Saito." She whispers.

After looking back to the mirror, a mischievous smile crosses her facial features.

'Perhaps I will have a little fun with this before I wreck the party.'

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Saito looks over and he does a double take as he sees himself running toward him.

'Somebody wanted to be me?'

"Saitoooooo." Comes a very familiar voice and a very familiar handwave.

The Saito doppelganger nearly makes him fall over when he hugs him.

"Hello Tiffania."

He watches himself pout.

"How did you know it was me." She says to him, but then she chuckles.

"Do you really admire me that much?" He asks.

The doppelganger nods while looking down and blushing.

He starts blushing as well.

Then he looks behind her and sees a quartet of Tiffanias

"Wow. You have one heck of a following."

"It's really good to see you." Gets shyly said to him by her just before she gets dragged away by her clones.

He laughs and shakes his head.

Surprise strikes him as a figure that looks like Henrietta abruptly stops in front of him, and he takes a good look at her.

During the pause of looking at her, she crosses her arms and starts tapping her foot while glaring at him.

He notices a hand musket and a sword strapped on either side of her hips.

"My, my, your highness. That musket flatters that dress of yours very nicely." He sarcastically says to her.

"Very funny." Agnes says to him.

"I bet you would look cute in a dress."

She blushes, but then punches his ribs. While walking away.

He leans slightly to one side while holding the ribs she hit.

"My, how very un-lady like of you your highness."

"Hmph."

He looks around the room.

'I wonder where Tabitha is. She isn't a huge fan of crowds. So, knowing her, she is probably along the sidelines somewhere.'

As those thoughts run through his mind, he spots someone that at least looks like Tabitha exactly doing what he had thought.

'I guess she decided not to participate.'

He slowly approaches her.

She has her staff leaning against the wall next to her and she is holding a book.

He walks a little closer and she does something odd. She furrows her eyebrows and starts turning the book in all kinds of directions as she looks at it.

Finally getting up to her, he crosses his arms, but she doesn't notice him because she is so engrossed in the book.

"You're not Tabitha, are you?"

She yelps and the book goes flying in the air out of surprise.

He manages to catch the book before it fell.

The Tabitha look-a-like puts her hands on her hips.

"Mr. Saito, you can't sneak up on a girl like that." She says in a scolding tone.

"Siesta?" He whispers to her.

She covers her mouth.

"Crap. I blew it."

'She was doing so well at first too.' The real Tabitha says to him in his head.

'How was she able to get in?'

'Henrietta snuck her in ahead of time so that she could participate and see you too. She's been really nervous about the whole thing, but I've gotten her to relax and enjoy it a little.'

'That was really nice of Henrietta to do that, and I am glad you two are here. Thanks for helping her out. So now I still have to find you.'

'Yep.'

He turns to start looking for her and gets a heavy shock to his system when Siesta is standing next to him.

'This is getting way too disorientating.'

She stares at him blankly, but then she tries to put on a smile and clasps her hands behind her back to try to mimic the maid's actions.

Doing a double take, he looks back to make sure that the Siesta in Tabitha's body was still behind him, and she was.

Then he thinks back to the momentary blank stare that she had given him.

"Tabitha." He exclaims.

She gives her usual nod to him and then she looks down at her chest. She gives her breasts a poke with her index fingers.

"I have breasts." She pints out to Saito.

She goes up and down on her heels a couple of times and her breasts bounce up and down from the action.

The real Siesta blushes while she watches Saito watch her doppelganger's breasts bounce.

'This is really weird watching myself do that.' Siesta thinks.

Tabitha gets an amused look on her face.

Saito shakes his head back and forth a couple times and then puts his hand on his face.

"I hope that isn't the only reason you chose Siesta?"

"It's one of the reasons why I chose her. So . . . . . Do you prefer bigger boobs?"

'Is this a trick question?' He thinks to himself.

"I like you for you Tabitha. It doesn't matter if you have big boobs or not. Besides, I think you look really sexy with your glasses." He whispers the latter part of his statement to her.

She blushes furiously.

Siesta giggles at Tabitha's blush.

'I don't know what he said to her, but it must have been good.' The maid muses to herself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees someone that looks like Agnes Elegantly walking around.

'Hmmm.'

Just then a man in a pope's outfit walks in his view. He is holding two drinks.

"Hello dear friend." The pope says to him.

Clearly recognizing the voice and tone, Saito responds back.

"Hello Julio."

"It is good to see you here. I don't recognize whom you are trying to be though."

Saito shakes his head.

"That's okay. Nobody here would."

"Very well."

"Who is the other drink for?"

"Louise of course."

Saito gives him a nod and a smile.

"Pardon my intrusion." A woman says as she comes up beside them.

"How can we help you?" Saito says to her.

"Saito?" She shyly inquires.

He nods to her.

"May I speak to you privately?"

"And with that, I will excuse myself. Have a good night Saito."

"You too Julio."

As Julio walks over to Cattleya's look-a-like, Saito looks around for a quieter spot in the room.

After finding a spot, he points to it.

"Would over there be alright?"

She nods and then they walk over to it.

"So who are you?"

"You don't recognize me?"

"Your voice sounds familiar to me, but I can't quite place it. I'm sorry. Are you one of my classmates?"

She doesn't even hesitate before nodding in agreement.

"It's okay. I will forgive you this time. I will just have to remind you later."

He scratches his head.

'Who the hell is she?'

"Alright." He says to her in defeat.

"I was wondering. What is it like being a familiar?"

He gets a puzzled look on his face.

"That's kind of an odd question, but I guess I can try to answer that for you. Are you referring to my current situation or when I was with Louise?"

'So he switched masters. How could this have even happened?'

"Let's start with your first master."

He cringes when he hears the word master and a flood of emotions and memories flood his head as he thinks back to his time as Louise's familiar.

He takes in a deep breath and then lets it out.

"I can't even begin to tell you what it was like when I was with Louise. We just weren't meant for each other. She treated me horribly for various reasons. It was wrong. I knew it. But the familiar bond was making me believe that it was okay."

"Really?"

He sadly nods.

{You know this can't be true. Everything a master does is out of love. He must have been doing something wrong to deserve whatever punishment he was given.}

"Perhaps there were some times that I deserved it, but not all of the time. Then, on top of that, the bond was also trying to make me think that I loved her. It was a voice in the back of my head disguised as my own voice. It kept saying things to make me believe that I loved her and it kept guiding all of my actions to her."

{Lies. He Must have been trying to deny his own love.}

She furrows her eyebrows.

"You're lying. There's no way that the familiar bond could have an affect like that. You must have been denying your own love for her."

This time he furrows his eyebrows.

"It's true. When I felt nothing for her after I broke my bond with her. I stop hearing the voice in the back of my head and I no longer felt a force driving me to her."

{These are all lies. He is trying to confuse you and make you doubt your true feelings for your master.}

"I've had enough of this farce. I am leaving." She angrily says and turns away from him to walk away.

He hastily puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She turns her head back toward him.

"Wait. Please. I don't know what's going on. I don't know if you are having doubts about your own bond with your familiar. But I implore you, treat it kindly. Mistreating it is no different than mistreating you."

{No one is mistreating you. You deserved what you got.} The voice tells her in her head.

'I can't believe I entertained this man's ramblings. It's time to get on with my mission.'

She turns and walks away with him.

'I hope she is going to be okay. She seemed really upset over this and didn't want to believe me.'

He pauses another moment as he watches her walk away, but he eventually turns back toward the balcony to see if the Agnes look-a-like was there.

Sheffield starts walking towards the disguised form of Cattleya that Louise took the shape of.

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Saito walks onto the balcony that he saw the Agnes clone go to.

As he walks out there, he finds her staring out to the stars.

He looks for the obvious sword and hand musket, and she had neither.

"Henrietta?"

She looks back to him and smiles softly.

"You found me Saito. I've been waiting for you." She says as she steps over to hug him.

They embrace each other.

"So why did you choose Agnes?"

She looks up at him.

"I really do admire her. She is so strong. She's gotten to where she is at without power, magic, or status. Even though she is my personal guard, she still has freedoms that I don't and I sometimes envy them."

"But she also chose to be you. So, there must be things that she envies about you as well."

She squeezes him in a big hug.

"This was another reason why I wanted you to come to this ball. I get to do this without any worry or scrutiny."

He smirks.

"And I can do this."

He grabs her chin and tilts it up. Then he leans in and starts kissing her.

The real Agnes walks in and completely freezes as she watches herself kissing Saito.

A huge blush come on her face as she watches herself doing this.

Then, after another moment goes by, she remembers that it is Henrietta that is doing the kissing and she turns her head to the side with slight embarrassment.

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After luring her away from Julio, Sheffield and Louise enter back into the mirror room.

"Wait. Where are we going? Who are you really? Saito warned me to be careful." Louise asks in worry.

She starts to turn away.

"Damn little brat. I have already dealt with enough from that Saito, let alone to deal with you."

Sheffield extends her hand out with Andvari's ring on it and starts commanding Louise.

The ring glows.

"You WILL come with me."

Louise's eyes go blank and she complies.

Fury seeps into Sheffield's facial expressions, and she tips over the mirror in a fit of anger.

The echo of the crash gets heard all over and everyone turns back to normal.

Yelling is heard from the ballroom.

The two musketeers along and the teacher quickly enter the room first.

Sheffield quickly pulls out a silver hand bell with a blue bottom and rings it several times.

Aimee, Guinevere, and Miss Chevreuse fall to the floor unconscious.

She leaves hastily with Louise while there is still confusion in the ballroom.

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Agnes clears her throat which causes Henrietta and Saito to look at her.

"I am really sorry to interrupt your highness, but I just saw a strange woman leaving with Louise."

Saito looks back at Henrietta with worry in his eyes.

"Sheffield!"

Just as he says that aloud crash is heard, they change back to normal, and yelling is heard from the ballroom.

"Shit!" He says and he takes off for the mirror room.

As he runs he catches Julia out the corner of his eye.

"Agnes is with the queen. Follow me. I think it's Sheffield."

She follows in suit with him as they enter the mirror room.

Siesta and Agnes see them running and then they also make their way for the mirror room.

Saito and Julia find their fallen comrades and the teacher on the floor when they get into the mirror room.

His eye turn dark blue as he activates his avatar powers and he senses that their blood is still moving.

'It seems that they are just unconscious Saito. Don't waste your time and just move on.' Serena suggests.

"Take care of them Julia." Is all he mutters as he rushes out the other side.

Siesta and Tabitha enter the room just in time to see him exit through the other side.

"He sure does move fast." Siesta adds as they chase after him.

He makes it outside to see Sheffield on her manta ray and she is using the ring to make Louise get onto the manta ray with her.

'You need to get that ring from her Saito.' Serena demands.

"Sheffield! Don't do this! Is this really your own will doing this?" He hollers out to her.

He notices the scar on her cheek as she touches it.

Painful memories of the torture she had just recently endured flash through her mind.

{Do you really want to doubt your feelings for your master again?}

"Stop trying to make me doubt my love for my master you wretched human."

"Gust of wind!" Tabitha shouts and Louise gets blown off the manta ray.

Siesta manages to catch Louise as she runs over there.

In a panic, Sheffield flies upward on her manta rays and starts flinging seeds out by the handful from a pouch.

All of the seeds turn into gargoyles.

The Musketeers and the Undine knights pour out from the school building to join the fight.

Sheffield then grabs a handful of petals and blows on them, creating her Fenrir hounds.

Flames shoot down from the clouds as a giant ship descends into the area.

The flames take aim for all of the gargoyles, and they start disappearing one by one as they burst into flames.

"No! This is not how this was supposed to go!" Sheffield hollers out."

"Plans not going your way Sheffield?" Saito sarcastically asks.

She growls at him and starts flying away.

'Get her Saito.' Serena interjects again angrily.

He starts running for her, but she is easily outrunning him on her manta ray.

"Not so easily Sheffield."

He uses the speed up spell that he learned from Karin and his running speed exponentially increases.

"Dammit! You are like a nagging fly!"

'Maybe I can distract him long enough for me to get away by sending some of my hounds after him.'

She pulls out a few more petals and blows on them.

'Here she goes again.'

He draws his sword as the petals fly from her hand and start turning into more of the Fenrir hounds.

He relinquishes the speed up spell to quickly cast another.

"Lightning. Release your shocking force and branch out. Chain Lightning!"

The lightning that stems out from his sword not only take out the Fenrir, but it also hits the manta ray.

She comes crashing and rolling onto the ground.

She shakily stands up and sees the man that has been causing her so many problems charging at her.

'So now I have to use my new toy.'

She pulls out a small, oval shield that's the size of a serving plate out from her cloak. It has a green gem directly in the center of it.

It floats from her hand and starts floating around her body.

Just as he is about to strike her, the disc takes the hit.

He swings Derf around to hit a different area and the disc circles around and deflects his hit again.

'Shit. This isn't going to work.'

He takes a couple more swift swings and every swing gets blocked by the disc.

'Time to change tactics.' He tells himself.

"In ex bet flame. Fireball!"

A fireball shoots out from Derflinger at her, but it also gets stopped by the floating disc.

"Let's see how much pressure that thing can take."

He furrows his eyebrows and his eyes turn dark blue.

"Water blast!"

Water bursts out from Saito at an astonishing rate.

The shield holds steady at it takes the force of his strike.

He plants one foot behind him and increases the intensity.

The water not only starts to make the ground mushy, but it also begins to push her back.

'Oh shit. At this rate, he is going to . . . '

Just as she thinks that, she gets knocked over.

He stops the attack.

"Concede Sheffield!"

She barely manages to stagger up. She is soaked to the bone.

"Never!"

She pulls out a ball and throws it down.

A huge blast of smoke fills the air.

She takes this time to close her cloak up.

'Shit.'

He starts sensing for the water in her body and he stomps his foot on the ground.

A wave spreads out from him in a 15-foot radius.

He senses the water in her body, but then it disappears.

"Where the hell did she go?"

She stops moving when she feels the wave hit her feet.

The smoke clears and he still can't see her.

'She has to still be here. She couldn't have gotten away that easily.'

'She must be using an ancient cloak of invisibility. That is one of the only things that could not only make her invisible, but also hide her water traces. Judging by the other artifact she was using, she must be hunting down magic items to use against you Saito.'

'So then she must be here.'

'More than likely.'

"Alright Sheffield. I know that you are here. It is a matter of time before I get you. Give yourself and the ring up. I don't want to fight you. You are another familiar just like me. I can try to help you. The runes try to make you do things that you don't want to do. Please listen to me."

{Don't listen to him. He is trying to trick you.}

He hears flapping in the background, and it causes him to turn his head to look.

Tabitha and Siesta are on Sylphid and Julio is on his dragon. They are flying toward him.

This distraction give Sheffield a golden opportunity and she pulls the hand bell out from her cloak.

'Saito!' Serena shouts at him.

For a brief moment, he senses the water in her body and begins to turn to her.

She dings the bell.

"Damn." Is all he manages to say as he falls to the ground unconscious.

Sheffield closes her cloak again and starts running away.

'Damn you Saito.' She thinks to herself as she flees.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 7

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is still at chapter 2, but not for long.


	40. Chapter 40: Oops

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty

Oops

Night time, shortly after the battle.

Saito starts waking up to the sound of arguing.

"Why?! Why are you alive?! I watched you die!" Agnes furiously yells at Colbert while gripping his navy robe.

A flood of emotions run through head while she stares at the living corpse of the teacher.

'This is what I was afraid of.' The teacher thinks as he starts sweating and holding his hands up.

Saito slowly opens his eyes and realizes that he is leaning against an academy wall. Siesta, Tabitha, and Tiffania are all next to him, but they don't notice him waking up because they are watching the argument.

He almost shouts out with happiness as he sees his teacher, but decides to be quiet and wait out the argument.

'I don't know how he is alive, but as long as if it is nothing like what happened to prince Wales, then I couldn't be happier.'

He wipes away a few happy tears from seeing his friend alive.

A hand gets settled on Agnes' shoulder, and she was about to shove the person off. She glances over her shoulder as she starts to prep her elbow, and she freezes in horror when she sees who she was almost about to hit.

The Queen gives Agnes an innocent smile.

Agnes turns pale for that brief moment.

'I'm dead.' Agnes worries.

She looks back at Mr. Colbert and then lets go.

"I am sorry Mr. Colbert. I got carried away." She guiltily says to him with her head bowed.

He brushes his robes smooth.

"It is I who should be sorry, and your reaction is quite understandable." Is spoken in kind to the captain.

"So how are you alive. No offense, but you did seem quite dead." Henrietta asks in earnest.

Kirche nervously walks up to the group and gives Colbert a nod.

"Miss Zerbst faked my death in worry that I really was going to be killed."

Gloom and regret shower over Agnes as she remembers her actions that night.

A sideways glance is given to Agnes by Henrietta.

"Then I got absorbed in this side project of mine when she also decided to help fund it."

Kirche grabs onto his arm.

"It's a product of our love." The red head says with a gleam in her eyes.

He holds up his hands and smiles nervously.

"It is nothing like that your highness."

"What is it?" The queen asks while trying to overlook what he just said.

"The Ostland. It's an airship that I invented based off of the designs of the zero fighter that Saito operated. It is a research and exploration ship."

"That is pretty amazing Mr. Colbert."

"Thank you your highness, and I am sorry for my deception."

"Based upon the circumstances, I understand and I will not hold any ill will towards you. Besides, you came back at just the right time."

"Thank you."

Tabitha turns to look at Saito after she feels happiness coming from him.

"Saito."

Siesta turns to him after hearing the blue-haired princess say his name softly.

"Saito!" Excitedly escapes her lips as she wraps her arms around his neck and gives him a hug.

Henrietta hears this and starts walking over to him.

"Please excuse me Mr. Colbert."

He bows to her and then he gets a smile on his face as he looks at Saito. He was also about to start walking toward Saito, but then he stops when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns to see who it was and sees that it is Agnes that stopped him.

He turns and looks at her in kind.

"I . . . I'm sorry."

"It's o. . ."

"Don't tell me it's okay. I acted terribly. I've had a lot of time to think about this since the incident. I'm sorry. I acted irrationally, and I even threatened your life. I usually don't act out like that, and a lot almost happened because of that. I am still very angry over what happened to my village, and there is no way I will ever forget it. But I am trying to move on. You acted upon orders that were given to you, and then you came to my rescue when you realized those orders were wrong. I spent a lot of time wasting the life that you helped me keep."

"So did you find something else to live for?"

A sideways glance is noticed by him when he sees her give Saito a glance.

"Yes I did."

"good."

Saito gets up from speaking with Henrietta and walks over to Colbert.

They stare at each other for a moment.

"It is good to see you Saito. I am sorry I have been away for so long. I've been meaning to see you. I've heard about everything from miss Zerbst."

Shock strikes Colbert as Saito gives him a huge hug, and then he returns it.

After a moment of this, Saito eventually releases and backs away.

"We're going to have a lot to catch up on."

Colbert nods.

Some of the other students come up to Colbert and start talking to him.

Henrietta walks up behind Saito and speaks softly to him.

"Shall we go somewhere a little more private and talk about what just happened?"

He gives her a nod.

As they walk away, Agnes gives Colbert another look and then continues walking. She walks a little lighter as she feels as though a weight had been lifted off of her.

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In Tabitha's room.

Everyone is in various spots around the room.

Siesta and Saito are sitting on the bed. Tabitha and Henrietta are sitting at the table, and Agnes is leaning against a wall.

"I almost had her. I was so close to getting her that I could taste it. I could have had so many questions answered."

"I'm sorry Saito. If Julio and I wouldn't have flown in, then you wouldn't have gotten distracted." Utters out of Tabitha's mouth.

"She took advantage of that moment of distraction. Didn't she?" Agnes asks.

He nods.

"What kinds of questions are you talking about." Gets inquired by Henrietta.

"He mentioned it before. I think he's trying to see how much she has been affected by her familiar bond."

He puts a hand on Siesta's lap and gives her a nod agreement.

"She's right. Think about what the bond did to me, and what it caused me to do. How much has she been affected? How long has she been a familiar? Then I also noticed a new scar across her cheek. She became really emotionally charged when I was questioning her in the middle of battle and she touched it. Could Joseph have tortured her?"

"But she is the one that caused you to fight that battle against the army of 70,000. An army that could have ended up killing the Queen if you wouldn't have stepped in. The battle where you barely survived. The battle where you ended up killing thousands of innocent people. You do remember that, right?" Agnes adds in a slightly annoyed tone.

Saito closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. Visions of a sea of dead people flash through his head with each hammer strike of Agnes' words.

"Yes, Agnes. I remember all too well. You don't need to remind me." He returns back with an almost equally annoyed tone.

Siesta gets a puzzled look on her face.

'That was an odd reaction from him. Is there something more to that?' The maid wonders.

"Let's say that you are right, Saito. Don't you think that she might be too far gone for help? She's committed a lot of terrible acts. Agnes is right. She caused that terrible battle. She's attempted kidnapping. She doesn't even think twice about attacking people. She has the runes trying to control her, and then she is also influenced by added torture." Says the Queen.

"If she truly believes that her master loves her and is willing to do anything for him, then could she be past the point of no return?" Adds Tabitha.

"I know. All of you are right. She has committed a lot of terrible acts. We have no idea how many people she has killed. Could she be too far gone? Yes. But I can't help but worry about her. I just keep wondering if she could be a truly innocent person that has had her mind corrupted over time. Thinking about her being tortured just makes me worry that much more. "

"You have a heart of gold Saito. I just don't know what to say to you. You could be right. You could be wrong. If you are right, and she could be saved, then how would she handle everything that she has done?"

He shakes his head.

"I don't know"

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*Knock, knock, knock. *

Siesta answers the door to Tabitha's room and Tiffania is standing there.

She stands there timidly in the doorway. Nervous about coming to the room to see the man that she likes and cares for.

"Tiffania?"

"Umm. . Hello Siesta, Tabitha."

Tabitha looks up from her book and gives her a nod.

"I don't suppose Saito is here? I wanted to see how he was doing. I didn't really get a chance to talk to him after everything happened."

"Sorry Tiffania. He's not here at the moment. He went to check on the Ondine knights and the Musketeers since he didn't get the chance to check in with them since the battle either."

"Oh . . . okay. Then maybe tomorrow. Have a good night then."

"You have a good night as well."

She starts to turn away to leave, but then she looks back to Siesta and Tabitha.

"You know. You two have a really good man. Make sure that you take good care of him."

"Thank you." Tabitha says in kind in return.

Tiffania starts walking away.

'I know he doesn't want me to tell them, but I wanted to try and at least warn them or something. Maybe I will stay up a little later tonight to see if he has another nightmare. I would hate for him to need me and me be asleep.' The half-elf thinks to herself.

After closing the door, Siesta looks at Tabitha.

"Did she just give us a warning?"

Tabitha cants her head to the side.

"Hmmmm?"

"I think that I've heard of this before. Could she be giving us a warning that she might try to take him from us if we don't take good care of him?"

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Saito, Tabitha, and Siesta are all fast asleep together.

Tabitha is curled up against Saito's back and holding him.

Their hearts start beating in time with each other.

Tabitha starts to have a weird dream.

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Tabitha is walking around in a forest.

In the distance, she hears the sounds of yelling and fighting.

'What is going on?'

She starts walking through some trees to get a closer look.

Peering around a final tree, she looks onward.

'What is this? A battle? I don't understand.'

A sea of dead people is seen by her as far as her eyes can see.

Everyone in the battlefield is centering on a single man.

She looks on intently.

'Did this one man really do all of this?'

Screams and moans of pain fill the air which sends earie chills down her spine.

One by one, she sees bodies fall to the ground.

A wind spell gets used and a body gets ejected from the crown of people around this one man.

'Who is doing all of this? Where am I?'

She takes a quick survey of the land and notices a mountain pass.

'Wait. Isn't this Albion? Isn't this the exact spot where the battle against the army of 70,000 took place?'

She takes a closer look at the man in the middle of the battle.

Shock comes over her as she sees Saito fighting in the middle, drenched in blood. A dead look in his eyes as he swings his sword around, hacking at the goblins and warriors around him.

Was about to step forward to go into the battle, but then all of a sudden, there is only one warrior left in the battlefield that is standing.

The man falls to his knees while holding his gut from being stabbed there.

With a cold look on his face, Saito chops the man's head off. Sweat and blood pour down his face.

"I did it."

She does a double take when another version of her appears 15 feet behind him.

'Me?' She questions.

A twig snap and turns around to look at the look-a-like.

Saito's face turns to normal as life returns to his eyes as he sees one of his loves.

"Tabitha . . . " He says as he reaches out to her.

Tabitha watches herself take a step back away from him with extreme fear all over her face.

"No! Don't come near me you . . . you . . you MONSTER!"

Sylphid lands next to her and she quickly gets on and flies away.

"Wait! . . . No! . . . . Please don't go."

He drops Derflinger and falls to his knees.

"Nooooooooooo!"

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Tabitha opens her eyes and sees that she is safely in bed with Saito.

'That was really weird. Why would I have a dream like that?'

She hears a soft sigh come from Saito and he slowly tries to sit up without disturbing Siesta.

"Tiffania." Very faintly utters out of his mouth as he sits up.

'Tiffania?'

He gets out of bed and starts getting dressed.

Siesta slightly stirs from this and she turns over and tries to put her hand where Saito was.

She pats the bed.

She shifts her hand slightly to try to feel him again.

She pats the bed.

She starts opening her eyes and sees Tabitha holding an index finger up to her mouth to keep her quiet.

"I really hope Tiffania is awake. I need her." He softly utter.

Siesta gets a perplexed look on her face.

'Is he going to go have sex with her?' The maid's mind frantically thinks and worries.

He looks out the window and sees her lying in the grass and looking up at the stars.

He exits the window like he did last time and floats down to her.

"I will get the queen." Tabitha says to Siesta.

Tiffania stands up when she sees him coming.

"Saito, you're awake. I was hoping you were going to be okay tonight, but I stayed up because I was worried about you."

"I am grateful that you did. This one seemed worse than the other one for some reason. It felt real, like they all do. But this time I really felt like Tabitha was there."

"I'm so sorry Saito."

She embraces him in a very comforting hug.

After they pull away she puts her hands on either side of his face and takes a good look at him.

"You've got circles under your eyes Saito. You really need to get some good sleep."

"I know I do, but I don't like sleeping."

She touches her forehead against his. Worry for him fills her heart.

"Please tell me that you are going to tell them about this soon. I don't think that you can take much more of this. You are holding in way too much."

"All right. I will. Maybe tomorrow."

"Good. I don't mind being here for you, but I don't seem to be the one that can help you enough. I think that you really need to talk to them, the people that you are worried about the most. They all really love you, so it should be fine. No matter what, though, I am here to support you."

He lets out a heavy sigh.

"Perhaps you are right."

She gives him another hug.

"Would you mind singing for me again? I think it helps settle my mind."

"Alright, but then you have to go back to your room to your girlfriends."

"Okay."

The go over to a corner and she sits down.

"Why don't you lay your head on my thigh." She says to him.

He plops on the ground and doesn't even think twice about it as he sets his head on her leg.

"I'm sorry for troubling you Tiffa."

She shakes her head.

"Don't worry about it. Just make sure that you do what you said you were going to do. Now close your eyes and relax."

She starts humming a tune, and it slowly lulls him to sleep.

With staying up so late, it also lulls herself to sleep as well.

Moments later footsteps approach their location.

"What the hell is this?" Shouts Agnes.

Saito startles awake. He rolls over, stands up and draws Derflinger. His heart beats fast.

Tiffa yelps.

"Why?" Says Tabitha.

"How could you do this?" Henrietta says to them.

"I thought that you loved us." Adds Siesta.

Their words hit him hard and cause him to flash to one of his first nightmares. His mind imagines them covered in blood just the dream he had.

His breathing becomes chaotic, to the point of nearly hyperventilating.

Tiffania looks between Saito and the others. She stands up and tries to motion for everyone to stop.

"Please. . . everyone . . . stop . . . you don't understand."

"What is there to not understand. He leaves two women in bed with him in the middle of the night to go be with another girl. How could you do such a terrible thing?"

Agnes' last two words were the final straw to his hypersensitive brain.

He drops derflinger.

"No . . . No . . . This is not how things were supposed to happen." He starts frantically saying.

He runs his hand nervously through his hair. He shakes his head back and forth. Then he turns and takes off.

Panic also strikes over Tiffania.

"We have to go get him. We can't let him go like that."

"Listen to the missy everyone." Deft quickly interjects.

"Quiet Derflinger." Agnes says to him.

"We can get him later." Tabitha says.

"You have some explaining to do cousin. You knew we were all involved with him, so where you trying to see him behind our backs. Didn't you even think about our feelings? Were you trying to become one of his girlfriends?"

"You don't understand. Yes. I wanted to be one of his girlfriends, but I haven't done anything behind your backs to jeopardize your relationship." Tiffa says in defense.

"How could you keep denying it. I've seen you two meet up in the middle of the night before." The heated Agnes says to her.

"So have I." Tabitha also says.

"He even said that he needed you tonight."

"I've heard the way you talk about him." The Queen says in succession to Siesta's comment.

"I heard him say how much he wanted to see you." Tabitha adds

Tiffania shakes her head with tears nearly streaming down her cheeks.

"That all sounds like we were, but I am telling you that is not why we were seeing each other in the night."

"What other reason could there have possibly been?" Agnes asks.

'She seems really persistent. Did we have this whole thing wrong?' Crosses the now worried maid's mind.

"I told him that I wouldn't say. He was supposed to tell you."

"Tell us what cousin? Now is not the time for secrets."

She sighs.

'I'm sorry Saito, but it has come down to this. This is the only way for them to understand now.'

"He has been coming to me with a problem of his."

"In the middle of the night?" inquires Tabitha.

"Yes."

"What kind of a problem could he have that he would not only not come to us about it, but go see you in the middle of the night?" The maid asks.

"He's been having nightmares."

"That still doesn't explain why he would come to you instead of us." Agnes skeptically adds.

"That's because he doesn't know how to tell you that he killed you in some of his nightmares!" Tiffa shouts at Agnes.

She then covers her mouth after blurting that out.

Everyone stops in their tracks with shock.

After a very long moment, Siesta is the first to speak.

"Why?" She softly asks Tiffa.

"He has been haunted with nightmares ever since that horrible battle he was in. Have any of you ever really asked him about that event? Has he said anything about it?"

Henrietta and Agnes were about to speak up.

Tiffa glares at them.

Then they remember that they only heard the story from someone else.

"No, he didn't" Tiffa says for them.

"He has had restless night after restless night of nightmares. He came back and he heard people calling him a demon. This has taken such a toll on him and none of you had any clue, or did you and you just overlooked it. He has been hiding this from everyone except me. I was his sounding board. I warned him to go talk to you. He even told me that he was going to talk to you tomorrow. If you had all of this suspicion that he was cheating on you, then why didn't any of you just ask him?"

Everything she said hits the girls like a ton of bricks. Everything that has happened starts fitting into place and starts making sense. His comments, his reactions to things, his worries, his tiredness.

'Oh my god. That dream I had was actually his dream. I must have been able to witness it because of our bond.' Tabitha thinks as she comes to that realization.

'That time I saw him with her during that first night at the cottage was because he had one of his nightmares.' Agnes thinks.

Then guilt strikes all of them for their accusations.

"Oh shit." Agnes says as she puts her hand over her face.

"I can't believe we were doubting him." Siesta adds to Agnes' comment.

"I told you to listen to her." Derflinger interjects.

"I am sorry for thinking that you would such a thing behind us like that. We need to find him. After we find him, then we can really sit down and talk about your feelings for him." Henrietta says.

"Let me help find him." Tiffa says to her cousin.

She kneels down and starts casting her spell.

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After running off, Saito finds a secluded spot near another one of the walls of the academy.

His heart is practically beating out of his chest and his breathing is chaotic.

He collapses onto the ground and lays down on his back.

'Steady your breathing my avatar. Slow your mind and regain control of yourself. Don't think about anything else except your breathing.'

He starts trying to focus on just his breathing. Trying to let go of all of the other thought running through his head.

His body starts relaxing and just continues to lay there.

Not long after that he hears footsteps that are running toward him.

He looks up and sees everyone running toward him.

"Oh no."

He stands up to start running again, but he stops when he hears Tiffania call out to him.

"Saito, please wait. Everything is okay."

Everyone starts slowing their pace to a walk, and then to a stop when they geth within 10 feet of him.

He hesitantly watches them. He still keeps himself in a position to take off again.

"Isn't everyone angry?" In disbelief, he asks cautiously.

She shakes her head.

Siesta slowly walks forward and extends her arms out.

His eyes go wide with nervousness as she wraps her arms around him.

Tears start flowing down her face as she gives him a hug.

"I am so sorry Saito."

"What!" He says back in shock.

Agnes holds out Derf to him with her head hung low.

"Tiffania Explained things to us." Henrietta explains.

"I'm . . . ashamed at my actions." Tabitha says to him.

"You're not a monster to us Saito. We love you too much to think that." Siesta says with her tear filled eyes.

"But all of the people I killed?"

Siesta lets go of Saito as Henrietta pulls him in for an embrace. She lays his head against her breasts.

"Everything you did was to protect us. You fought to protect. That is what I taught you, and you did everything you could to protect us." Agnes heartfeltly says.

"I saw into your dream. You fought like life depended on it, but you were still you when you were done." Adds Tabitha.

"Please talk to us about everything darling." Siesta sincerely says to him.

"Talk to all of us openly." Henrietta also adds while motioning to Tiffania, who was standing off to the side.

She gets a great big smile and also comes over to hug Saito.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

Everything that seemed like filler ever since chapter 23 got wrapped up in this explosive mishap.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 7

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is still at chapter 2, but not for long.


	41. Chapter 41: Sorry

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-One

Sorry

Saito starts to wake up and he rubs his eyes with a hand that isn't pinned down.

With a look to his left, he sees Siesta leaning on her side, staring at him.

"Good morning Saito." She says to him as she kisses his forehead. Her face is also adorned with her usual smile.

A realization dawns on him.

"Wait. Where's Tabitha? Am I late for class?"

She puts a calm hand on his chest and gently shakes her head.

"Don't worry, there is no class today in light of what happened yesterday. We wanted to let you sleep in, so we didn't bother you."

"So where is Tabitha?"

"She is with Sylphid."

"Alright."

"I will get you some breakfast while you wake up."

He gives her a nod.

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As he finishes his meal, Saito looks at Siesta.

"You have been staring at me this whole time, and you have looked like you were either going to say or ask something. I have some questions too. So how about we do an exchange. I am going to ask first. What the hell happened last night after Sheffield's attack? Some of it is kind of a blur, But I vaguely remember everyone being angry at me."

She bows her head in shame and almost starts to cry.

"I think we should wait for everyone in order to properly answer that question."

He closes his eyes momentarily and makes an annoyed face.

"That's kind of not fair to leave me hanging like that Siesta."

"I know, but I feel it would be right if they were here to explain it as well."

A loud huff escapes his mouth.

"So what is it that you wanted to say to me then?"

She takes a long moment to reflect on how she was going to ask her question and then she continues.

"You once told me that it gets easier to attack/hurt/kill people the more you fight."

"Yes. I said that."

"Did you really mean that, or were you just saying that to make me feel better?"

He sighs.

"I did say that, and it does. Colbert would probably be sad at hearing me say this, but it is true. I am a fighter. I became one as soon as I came to this world and received the Gandalfr runes. I have trained in the art of warfare and defending myself. I have fought against various enemies. With all of that, it has become instinctual to deal a blow to an enemy. The thing is, you have to live with those choices. That is why I fight to protect. I fight to protect my friends and the people I love. I fight to protect this country. I fight to protect the innocent from tyranny. I don't do it for joy, or for thrills. I fought against those 70,000 to protect all of you. My problem is that those people were forced to do it. I deal with those deaths all of the time."

She looks down at the floor.

"I am sorry if I brought up bad memories darling."

He shakes his head.

"I understand why you asked. There is no turning back for me, but you can still change your mind about fighting Siesta."

This time, she shakes her head.

"I'm not going back. I wanted to learn to fight because I wanted to be able to protect you. Just like you, I am fighting to protect something. I don't care if that something is as selfish as just wanting to protect one person. So I am not going to change my mind."

"You don't have to . . . "

She interrupts him by placing a finger over his lips.

"I want to Saito, and I am going to. Thank you for talking to me about this."

She removes her finger and embraces him in a hug.

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Later in the day.

Saito and his four girlfriends were sitting in a room that Henrietta had occupied.

Saito and Henrietta are sitting on a couch, while the others were sitting in chairs across from them.

'I knew it was going to come down to this, but I am really not looking forward to this.' The queen thinks to herself.

Another person in the room, the captain of the musketeers, was having her own thoughts on this as well.

'Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.'

'I don't entirely know what this is about, but I can feel the worry from Tabitha through our link.'

Siesta has her hands clasped together on her lap. She is also failingly trying to cover up her worry with a smile.

"Okay. So what is this all about? Why is it that all of you look like you are in front of a firing squad?" He finally asks.

"We're . . . . . . . . . . sorry Saito." Replies the weary queen with her eyes closed and her head tilted down.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmm, why? Shouldn't I be the one apologizing? I thought all of you were going to be mad at me, hate me, or even resent me."

Tabitha shakes her head and replies.

"We don't."

"We made a terrible blunder, Saito." Agnes adds.

"Huh?" He asks with a perplexed look on his face, still not understanding.

"Do you remember Agnes abruptly waking you up last night?"

Agnes puts a hand over her face in disgrace.

'Did you really have to put it that way, your highness.' Agnes thinks.

He pauses a moment while he tries to remember.

"I do remember that now. I had fallen asleep on Tiffania's lap after her and I chatted about my nightmares. You seemed pretty angry Agnes."

She slinks lower into her chair.

'God, do I feel terrible.' Are the thoughts of the blond-haired captain.

"We thought that you were cheating on us." The spectacled one says.

"You thought that I was cheating on all of you?"

Agnes nods while still holding her face.

"Tabitha and I heard you say that you needed her in the middle of the night."

"You two heard me say that?"

A nod in agreement is given by Tabitha.

"Then you leapt out the window." She then adds.

"We thought that you were out, gallivanting around with my cousin."

"You suspected your cousin, the kind hearted Tiffania, of doing that to you?"

Henrietta begrudgingly nods.

Agnes pulls her hand away from her face and decides to respond with some of the evidence.

"We had noticed you leave to see her in the middle of the night a handful of times."

Tabitha takes a deep breath and then tries to add on to what Agnes just said.

"We . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . assumed . . . . . . . . that you were meeting with her because you desired her."

Tabitha struggled with herself to get out the middle of her sentence.

'I can't believe I just assumed like that. . . . .'

"I am ashamed of my actions Saito." She says as she adds to her thought.

"So . . . . . wait . . . ." Saito starts to say.

He scratches the back of his head for a moment.

"How long have all of you been suspecting this?" He innocently asks.

Agnes takes a big gulp before she answers his question.

"I've had suspicions ever since that night we spent at Tiffania's cabin."

He is overcome with annoyance as he rests his elbows on his knees while rubbing his temples.

So, you have been doubting my love for all of you this whole time despite everything that I have done to show all of you how much I love you.

Everyone sadly gives him a nod.

"Did any of you even think to ask me?"

They all do a mental faceplant into the floor.

"We didn't think that there could have been another reason why you were going to see her." Henrietta admits.

"We're really sorry." The maid adds.

"In Siesta's defense, she was the last one to believe that something was up." Agnes speaks up.

"We didn't know that she was helping you with your nightmares."

He looks at Tabitha after she makes that statement.

"How did you know that? Did she . . . "

"She told us about it. After you ran away from us initially, we confronted her about it. She was so angry and frustrated that she just blurted it out to us."

'I guess that she just couldn't help it. I might have done the same thing if I were in that situation.'

His thoughts get interrupted by the maid.

"Why did you run away from us then? You looked pretty scared."

"That's the part of my night that seems a little blurry to me. I think that it was a combination of things. I had already had a nightmare that night. Then I was jolted awake. But then, while all of you started yelling at me, I heard all of you say things that were said in some of my nightmares."

'I'm an idiot. I really, really blundered this.' Agnes thinks as she imagines herself banging her head against a wall.

"Tiffania already told us a little bit about what happened in your dreams, but why don't you tell us about it."

"Are you sure about that Henrietta. I am not sure if you really want to hear about my dreams."

"Yes, we do. I had witnessed one of your dreams, but I am sure there's more." The blue-haired girlfriend adds.

"It's the least we can do after what we did."

Regret is heard from Agnes' voice as she uttered those last three words.

"Only if you are okay with it though."

Everyone nods in agreement with Siesta.

He lets out yet another deep sigh for the day.

"I've been haunted by these nightmares almost every night. I sometimes find myself walking through the streets of Albion and a girl will sometimes walk up to me and ask me why I killed her father. I have even envisioned that woman that I met while out with Agnes and Henrietta, and she yells at me and cries over the death of her husband."

Henrietta gasps and puts her hand in front of her mouth in shock as she remembers the incident with that woman. Agnes remembers it as well.

"I sometimes relive some of the moments of the battle, and other times my mind comes up with a battle of its own. All of those innocent people I killed. I always end up covered in blood from head to toe along with Derflinger." He says with a bit of sadness.

Siesta nearly starts crying.

'So, this is what he meant by dealing with those deaths all of the time. He relives killing them all of the time and continually anguishes over it. And this whole time we thought he was cheating on us. Nobody saw him hurting.'

"I saw you bloody in last night's dream. Did that . . . . . really happen?"

"The battle didn't exactly happen like that one, but . . . . . . . . yes . . . . . . . I really got that bloody. The things I did. I am a monster."

Henrietta puts a hand gently on top of one of his.

"Is that why you've sometimes acted odd whenever someone called you a hero, or boasted about what you did?" Siesta asks as she remembers him arguing with Guiche.

He nods.

"What about us? I know that you saw me in your dream and I ran away. Did you dream about the others?" Tabitha asks as she tries to get to the point of something that was bothering her.

Another sigh escapes him and he removes his hand from under Henrietta's. This slightly surprises her and she gets a worried look on her face.

"I think that last night focused on you because you were actually in my dream, but my nightmares usually involve all of you."

Everyone worries when they hear him say that.

'Is what my cousin said really true?'

"As the battle ends, I turn around and find that all of you are dying because of my own hands." He says the last bit with heavy heart.

Agnes' eyes go wide.

"As all of you are dying I usually hear things like 'I thought you loved us', 'How could you do this to us', or 'you murderer'."

'The other version of me called him that in the nightmare.'

Henrietta and Siesta recognize the other two phrases as they remembered saying them.

"I think that it was at that point that I had a hard time distinguishing from my nightmare and reality and I took off running."

Siesta covers her face and starts balling.

'Blunder. Blunder. Blunder. Damnit. Damnit, Damnit.' Keeps crossing Agnes' thoughts.

'I can't believe that I said the exact same thing that he hears in his dream. We were so careless.' Henrietta inwardly scolds herself.

"I kept this to myself and kept this from you because I was worried about what you would think. I was worried that you really would think that I was a monster if you knew everything."

He closes his eyes and waits for the acknowledgement that he really did think that he was a monster.

He gets surprised when he feels someone hugging him.

He opens his eyes and sees that it is Henrietta.

"We said it to you last night, and I will say it again. You are not a monster Saito." She says to him.

"You fought them to protect, and that is what you did. The innocents that died are a terrible loss, but you protected so many more than those who died." Agnes adds in a very matter of fact manner, but still warmly.

"We know you wouldn't really do that to us Siesta also adds while still crying."

"We would never think that about you. We know you're not like that." His last of his girlfriends adds.

He sighs and relaxes into the couch as if a huge weight had been lifted off of him.

While still leaning his head back he speaks to all of them.

"I am very glad to hear those words from all of you. It has been eating at me this whole time. It doesn't take away the pain I feel for killing all of those people, but I am relieved to know that you don't think of me as a monster. BUT."

Everyone starts worrying.

'But?' They all wonder.

He lifts his head back up to look at all of them.

"You are all grounded for the next week because you didn't trust me and thought I was betraying you."

Siesta starts whining.

He crosses his arms.

"No ifs, ands, or buts. I also think that all of you owe Tiffania an apology."

Henrietta speaks up after hearing the name of her cousin.

"That is something that we also have to discuss."

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"She also wants to be one of your girlfriends." Agnes mentions in response.

"Huh?" He says in disbelief.

"That also came out when she was telling us about everything else." Says his blue-haired girlfriend.

"How about you go get her Agnes."

"Yes, your highness."

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After joining the group, Tiffania is also sitting in the room.

"Is everything okay, cousin?" Tiffania shyly asks as she looks around at everyone.

Henrietta smiles and nods at her.

"First off, I want to say that I am really sorry that we thought you and Saito were having a fling behind our backs."

"Hmph." Emits from Saito's mouth after Henrietta says that.

"I think that part of the confusion came from you asking us about Saito." The Queen continues.

"She asked me how I would feel if another person tried to become a girlfriend of yours." Agnes adds.

"You're all still grounded." He retorts.

"Grounded?" Tiffania asks.

"I will explain another time." Saito says to her.

Siesta pouts.

Henrietta looks hard at her cousin.

"Please tell us how you feel again cousin. We need to hear why you want to be with Saito."

She shyly looks around at everyone.

"I don't want to inadvertently cause any more trouble again." Tiffa shyly says to everyone.

"I wouldn't worry about that at this point." Siesta kindly says to the helf-elf.

"I really like Saito. I think and worry about him all of the time. I've felt like this ever since I met him in the forest. I've tried to hold back on my feelings for him. I felt jealous every time I saw him with any of you. I knew that he was in love with all of you. That is why I was slowly asking all of you about him."

"You don't mind being a mistress?" asks Siesta.

She shakes her head.

"My mother was one. So, I had already known of the idea. I have seen how he acts with all of you. I knew he wouldn't just throw me off to the side. I really enjoyed my time with him. I wanted more of it. I don't want anyone else. I want to be with him even if I have to share him with all of you."

Siesta gets a small smile on her face as she thinks to herself.

'I can respect what she said. Her and I are a lot alike in that way.'

Her declaration surprises him, but even he has a question of his own.

"Does it bother you at all that you would be sharing me with a relative? For that matter, doesn't it bother you at all, Henrietta."

The first to speak is Tiffania.

"It does feel a little odd, but in the end, she is still a woman like the rest of us."

"I can't really say much about it either. After all, I was in love with prince Wales before you, Saito. So I can accept the fact that my cousin is also in love with you. How do you feel about this Tabitha?"

She stares at Tiffa for a moment.

"She said that she is okay being a mistress. We also said that we were okay with him having mistresses as long as if we knew about them."

Henrietta nods in agreement with that last statement.

"She has also been taking care of him. She took care of him in Albion and also while he's been having his nightmares. I can't say no." Tabitha logically answers.

"Speaking of helping him with his nightmares, what were your thoughts while helping him?" Agnes asks in a serious tone.

"I won't lie. I enjoyed every minute of being with him. I craved it and I wanted to be with him. But I was there for him as support, and I even told him every time that he needed to talk to you about his nightmares."

"She really did say that to me every single time Agnes." Saito adds in Tiffa's defense.

"I am still not too fond of sharing him with yet another woman, but thank you for being honest about that Tiffania."

"I have no problem with her, plus she is really nice. I also want to play with her wolf. But how do you feel about her, Saito?" Siesta says.

The others look at him as they wait for his response.

"I am not going to fully say that I love her just yet. That is a very big thing to say, and I can honestly say that I mean it with every one of you. I do like her as well though. She is very comforting to be around. I always seem to relax when I am around her. She is even able to get me to go to sleep when my mind is in chaos. I look forward to seeing her and her smile every day. I am not willing to do anything if it is going to jeopardize any of our relationships though."

Tiffa smiles at him with respect to his response, and she even blushes a little.

Henrietta turns to Agnes.

"It's up to you then, Agnes. Would you be willing to let her in at least on a trial basis to see how this works out?"

Agnes grumbles a little bit as she thinks and stares at Tiffa.

"Alright, but she's out at the first sign of trouble." Agnes declares.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 7

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is now at chapter 3


	42. Chapter 42: Now They've Done It

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-Two

Now They've Done It

A week after the incident.

After they ate some breakfast and returned back to their room, Tabitha gives Saito a serious look.

Siesta was off doing some chores.

"What's going on Tabitha? You have been acting odd all morning" He says to her.

"I want to back to my home to pick up a couple things that were important to my mother and I."

"That is NOT a good idea."

She nods in agreement.

"I know, but I have to go."

"Are they really that important that you are willing to go into your uncle's territory to get them? Who knows what he might have even done to the house by now."

He regrets making that last comment as he feels her emotions fluctuate heavily.

"I'm sorry Tabitha. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I wish we would have thought about that while we were there saving your mother."

"We had more important things on our minds at that time."

"Like trying to get out of there quickly and unnoticed."

She nods with slightly tear filled eyes.

He gives her a soft smile as he kisses her forehead and wipes the tears from her eyes.

"Alright. I will go with you to your house, but I want you to prepare yourself for the worst, okay?"

She leans into him and gives a nod into his chest.

"We will have to go in there on foot. There is no way that we could just fly in there on Sylphid. I still want her to come along though, just in case. She will have to travel with us in her human form." He says to her.

She gives him a kiss on the lips and a nod.

"Thank you." She says to him as she gives him a hug.

"You just couldn't wait to do that now that the week is over, couldn't you?"

She nods vigorously.

Along with a smile, he shakes his head.

"You start getting things ready. I will let everyone else know what we're doing. Luckily Henrietta came back here to check on things."

'And probably to get some intimacy with you again since your grounding them." Serena muses to him.

'You're probably right.' He replies to her.

'That reminds me, you should come by the lake since you will be in the area again.'

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Walking down a dungeon hallway are three figures. The hallway is barely lit by a magical lamp.

"Please master! Don't do this! I beg of you, please don't do this again!" Sheffield cries out to the mad king.

She is dripping wet. Torn and dingy rags hang loosely on her. They barely even cover up her private parts. Her normally hidden arms, legs, and back are bare. Old scars line those areas. Her shoulders and face show sign of bruising. Makeup runs down her face.

Her weak and wobbly body fights to keep up the pace of the guard leading her down the hallway by a collar with a handle around her neck. Water drips off of her, onto the floor as they walk.

The guard opens a wooden cell door with a small barred window on it to look inside.

Inside a very dark room. The room has nothing in it except for a set of manacles attached to the back wall.

Joseph nods to the guard to chain her up.

"Give me another chance master! Let me create Jormungandr! Please don't leave me in here!" She frantically pleads again with heavy anxiety in the sound of her voice.

A loud smack is heard as he backhands her face, and a small whimper escapes her mouth.

She winces from pain from the smack added onto her already bruised cheek.

"Save your pleas. I do not care. I have watched you walled, and nearly drowned a few times. I stand here, staring at you degraded like this and listening to your pleas. I still feel nothing at all." He says coldly to her in a monotone voice.

"But master . . . . . . "

"But nothing! You failed your task again, and your loyalty is still in question. I do not tolerate failure and you know that."

She droops her head.

He then maniacally smiles at her.

"I will let you out should I decide I feel like it, my muse."

He gently puts his hand under her chin and lifts it up.

"If you are truly loyal to me, then you will endure this without any fuss."

She quiets down and he lets go of her chin.

"That is better."

Tears start falling down her face as they turn and walk away.

The guard starts shutting the cell door.

She watches the light in the room fade as the door creaks shut and then she hears it being locked.

He then slides the cover over the window on the door.

Left completely in the dark, she hears the water as it drips onto the floor.

{You deserve this.}

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At Lagdorian Lake.

Saito stands at the lake.

'I'm here Serena.'

'As if I didn't already know.' She responds back.

He chuckles.

'I suppose you would.'

She slowly rises up from the water in her humanoid form.

"It's about time you came to visit. Now, come join me in here in your proper form."

"Body of water." He utters and his form starts changing into his liquid body.

"Now that you have mastered this form, we can truly bond and become one."

She turns her attention to Tabitha, whom is sitting next to Sylphid in her human form. They are both sitting in the grass. Sylphid looks like an older sister to Tabitha. She has long blue hair. A decent sized bust and long legs. The long blue dress she is wearing has slits down either side of it that show off her gorgeous legs. The dress is accented with a brown vest, orange scarf, and white boots. She is also wearing a brown hooded cloak.

"Even though he is my avatar, I understand your relationship with him. So, I am being respectful and asking your permission to borrow him."

Tabitha momentarily thinks about saying no, she gives Serena a nod.

"Thank you." The water spirit responds in kind to Tabitha.

She extends her hand out to Saito.

"Now come, my avatar."

As he grabs her hand and starts walking into the water, she starts merging with him.

They submerge in the water.

While they are in the water, Tabitha's eye twitches a couple of times as she feels some odd emotions from Saito.

After about 10 minutes in the water with her, he starts walking out of the water and turning back to normal.

"That was intense."

'Do come back again. That was fun. Try not to be away so long next time Saito.'

He blushes from her comment and then catches Tabitha staring at him.

"Are you done?" She asks him.

"Yeah."

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The three of them approach Her home.

"I can't help but feel like the journey here was almost too easy." He says softly to them.

"I hope you're wrong Saito." Tabitha says in response.

"I wish we could've flown here. I don't mind using my human form, but I prefer flying."

They pass by a flag with her coat of arms on it lying on the ground.

He slowly draws Derflinger.

'I guess it's a good thing I stopped by the lake before coming here.'

The archway to her estate becomes visible and they can clearly see that it had been defaced. A long cut was across the family crest.

Saito feels her sadness even though she is trying to hide it.

'I'm sorry Tabitha.' He communicates to her.

'You did warn me about this.'

'Are you sure that you still want to go inside?'

'Yes.'

'Tell Sylphid that her and I are going to stay out here and keep a look out. If there is anything even remotely suspicious in there, then you contact me immediately and I will rush in.'

She nods and communicates what he said to Sylphid.

She walks up the steps to the mansion door and finds that it is partially open. As she opens it, she finds the place in ruins.

Sadness fills her heart and her facial features as she walks in.

'Are you okay Tabitha.'

'The . . . . The place is in ruins. It hurts to see my home like this.'

'When the time is right, we'll get it fixed back up.' He says calmly to her.

She wipes some tears from her eyes and continues to look around after taking a deep breath to recompose herself.

All of the rooms seem to be in similar disorder as she continues searching. Furniture had been tipped over or even broken. A painting of her father had a slice through it. The library had books all over the floor.

She sees some light down the hallway, towards the back of the house, and starts to walk toward it.

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Outside.

"Saito."

"Yeah Sylphid?"

"Thank you for taking such good care of my big sister." She says as she hugs him.

"That sounds funny, considering that YOU look like the big sister. But you're welcome."

She lets go of him.

"I really mean it. I feel the happiness from her. She used to be so sad and so much quieter before she had met you. She has really opened up."

"I'm glad she isn't like that anymore. She is full of life now."

"Even though I am a little jealous, I am glad to be sharing her with you as familiars."

"Thank you Sylphid."

"I haven't really gotten a good chance to say that to you 'til now."

"I am happy as well. Too bad we couldn't also communicate to each other telepathically."

She nods.

His eyes start to glow dark blue as he starts activating his avatar abilities.

"What are you doing Saito?"

"I am checking to see if there are other people nearby by sensing for water."

'Wow. I've gotten a little boost in the range.'

"Oh crap! There is another person in there with her. Sylphid, I need you to stay out here and keep watch."

When he refocuses and looks at her, he notices that she is undressing.

"What the heck are you doing!"

"I don't want to ruin my only clothes when I turn into a dragon." She states as she pulls off her dress.

She stands naked in front of him.

He blushes, smacks his forehead, and then takes off for the entrance of the mansion.

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Tabitha enters the room where the light is coming from. Large sliding doors were open to the outside.

The light shines down on the partially torn doll that her mother used to clutch onto and call Charlotte.

She reaches over and picks up the doll.

As she stares at it, a flood of memories come back to her. They come back to her all the way to the time when she had rescued her with Saito.

She hears the shuffling of feet and she turns her head to see a figure standing in the shadows of a corner.

She readies her staff.

"Well this is interesting. Joseph said that you would come back here."

She grits her teeth at the mentioning of her uncle's name.

"Who are you? Show yourself."

He walks out from the shadows. A tall man wearing a brimmed hat with a white feather in it. His clothes have some similarities to the ones that Tiffania wears as they are Elven in nature. He is wearing dark boots that go up to his knees. His long, silver hair reaches down to the back of his knees.

Tabitha notices his pointed ears.

'An elf!' She thinks to herself.

'Saito!'

'I'm coming. I am already in the house. Where are you?'

'In the back. Follow the light down the hallway.'

"I am Bidashel of Nephthys. I am an elf sent by Joseph. I didn't want to believe him when he said that you would be back here. He said that humans are sentimental."

Saito busts through the door and gets next to Tabitha in a battle stance.

"You must be Saito. I've heard about you from Joseph. I am Bidashel."

"I wish I could say it is a pleasure to meet you." Saito says in response.

He also takes note of his Elven ears.

"Why are you here Bidashel?" He asks the elf.

"I was asked to bring her back to him. He wanted me to give her the same poison that was used on her mother. Elves do not like conflict, so I am going to ask you nicely to come with me Tabitha."

Rage fills Saito as he imagines that.

"You're not going to fucking go anywhere with her!"

Tabitha raises her staff and starts creating a spear made of ice.

Bidashel raises his hand calls out a spell.

"Counter."

Tabitha launches the spear at him. It stops as it hits an invisible barrier that ripples slightly. Then the spear falls to the ground and shatters apart.

Saito charges at him.

"Wait, Saito!" Derf calls out.

He swings Derf at the Elf and gets deflected back.

"I tried to tell you."

"What the hell was that?"

"That was a spell called counter." The sword points out to him.

"Ancient magic."

'Indeed, it is Saito.' Serena confirms.

"I don't like the term. It's the power of the spirits."

"Icy wind." Tabitha calls out her signature spell.

Bidashel doesn't budge as the ice shards come flying at him.

'That is no good Saito. He will probably reflect them back this way.' Serena instructs him.

The shards stop just as they hit the barrier and reflect back at them, just as Serena said.

"Flare."

Fire bursts from his sword and melt the shards before they can hit him or Tabitha.

"Isn't there a way we can get through that?"

"I know of one way."

"How is that, Derf?"

"Cast Dispel on me."

'Tabitha, give me a distraction.'

She nods and lifts her staff into the air. Flames start shooting from her staff as she chants the spell. The flames encircle Bidashel.

"Derf, couldn't also use you to drain the energy out of his barrier?"

"I never thought of that, but I don't see why not. It is still a magic spell after all."

"This is useless against me." Bidashel says calmly as he walks into the circle of flames.

The flames start dissipating because the barrier.

'So this is why Elves are so feared.' Tabitha and Saito both think.

Saito lunges at Bidashel, stabbing right at the barrier.

"This again?" Bidashel says confidently.

Derflinger stops as he hits the barrier. Saito grits his teeth as he struggles to keep Derflinger shoved into the barrier.

The barrier starts getting absorbed by Derflinger and he slowly makes his way into the barrier.

"What in the world!" Bidashel says in shock.

The barrier dissipates.

"Why the hell are doing this for the mad king? I thought that you didn't want violence."

"Obligation, and that is all you need to know." Bidashel simply says.

Surprise comes over Saito.

Sword, come to me." Bidashel says as he chants another spell.

A sword on the wall glows green and comes between him and Saito. Then he launches it at Saito. It gets easily deflected by him.

Saito's eyes glow dark blue.

'Get off the floor, Tabitha.'

She uses levitation to get off the floor as he turns it to ice.

"Gust!"

Unable to keep his balance, Bidashel gets blown over and falls to the floor.

Saito extends his hand out and water starts circling around the Elf.

'What the heck is this? This is no normal magic that the humans use. It's . . . . like . . . my magic.' Bidashel thinks to himself.

"I still don't understand this. Don't you have a wife? A daughter? A nephew, or a niece? Would you want someone destroying the mind of someone you love?"

Bidashel holds out his hand in a stopping motion after he hears the word niece.

"Alright. Let's stop. I didn't sign up for this and you made a very good point. I do have a niece that I wouldn't want this to happen to."

Saito doesn't lower his sword, but he lets Bidashel stand up as he dismisses the ice.

Tabitha lowers back down to the floor.

"Let me give you a word of warning Saito. Joseph is a very cruel man and he is not just going to stop at this."

"Thank you for this." Saito says to him.

"May I ask a question though? What kind of magic was it that you used just now? It wasn't normal human magic."

"That is all you need to know." Saito responds back cynically.

"Fair enough. By the way, that was quite exemplary of you for a human. No human has ever been able to best me. Congratulations."

"Thank you, I think."

Sylphid lands by the large doorway that was open to the outside.

"Ah. A rhyme dragon. They are very beautiful, even in their human forms." Bidashel says astutely.

"It's okay Sylphid. We're getting out of here."

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Outside.

The three of them start heading back home after Sylphid changes back to her human form and gets dressed.

Tabitha notices the angry expression on his face and his pace is slightly faster than normal. She feels the rage within his heart.

Sylphid also notices.

Tabitha pulls his arm and stops him.

"What is going on Saito?"

He slices his hand through the air.

"I've had it with your uncle Tabitha. His reign of terror has gone on long enough. He killed your father. He kept your mother poisoned and used it like a vice to bend you to his will. Because of him, I fought 70,000 people. I killed thousands because of that. He has had multiple attampts at kidnapping Louise. Who knows what kind of terrible things he has done to that familiar of his. Your mother has been kept in hiding like a common criminal in fear of him. Somehow, he has an elf working under him. Then he was going to have you poisoned. I've had enough. I had said that if he did one more thing that I would wage a war against him, and that is exactly what I am going to do!"

He takes a deep breath and lets it out.

"I just have one question for you, and I would understand if you declined. Are you with me?"

She looks him in the eyes.

"Yes."

"Then we will start making preparations as soon as we get back."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 42 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 7

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	43. Chapter 43:Heavy Wind

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-Three

Heavy Wind

At the academy, in Tabitha's room.

Saito had just gotten through explaining to Tiffa and Siesta that he is going after the mad king.

"I want you two to stay here." Saito says to Tiffa and Siesta.

Siesta puts her hands on her hips and glares at him.

"No." She defiantly responds back to him.

"Huh?" He says in shock.

"No." The tone in her voice becomes more stern as she repeats herself.

"And why not? You will be safe here, and that is what I want." Annoyance makes it's way into his voice as he explains himself to the combat maid.

Getting irritated with his stubbornness, she responds back with an equal amount of annoyance in her voice.

Tabitha watches from the table quietly.

'Here it comes. This was expected.' The bookworm muses.

"I am not letting you out of my sight again. The first time you ran off and did something like this, you nearly died and disappeared with Tiffania for a couple of days while we were worried sick about you." The maid starts in on him.

"Hey!" Tiffania says with a pout while sitting on the bed. Her ears point slightly downward

Siesta smiles at her.

"No offense to you Tiffania. You're not the one I'm angry at."

Tiffa calms back down and her ears go back to normal position.

"Then you go off to Tabitha's home and get attacked by an elf. If you think that I am going to let you run off again, then you've got another thing coming."

He starts to open his mouth to speak,

She points her finger at him.

"And don't try using the fact that Tabitha is going with you as a way out of this. It's not going to work."

She crosses her arms and gets a smug look on her face.

"Besides, it is a maid's job to be by her master's side at all times. I also didn't learn to fight just to keep my figure. I am going to be by your side no matter what."

He goes to speak, but this time it is Tiffania that interrupts.

"I am going too." The elf says with a determined look on her face.

Siesta and Saito both look at her with shock.

With both of them staring at her, she almost backs down. But she keeps her composure and continues.

"I know that I don't have any battle experience like either of you, but I am sure Weylyn and I can be of use too. I also want to keep you safe, just like Siesta. I'm sure I can be of help, especially if we're going to be out in the wilderness."

He raises his hands.

"Alright. I'm not happy about this, but I guess that there is no getting out of this."

Tiffa and Siesta shake their heads.

'Now I have to see how Agnes and Henrietta are going to take this.'

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At the palace.

"I don't want you going!" The queen yells at Saito.

Tabitha stands nearby, watching Saito, Henrietta, and Agnes.

"I have to go, and I would do that same thing for either of you if you were in the same situation and both of you know that. I figured that the two of you would understand. His atrocities have affected both of you as well. He was behind Reconquista, the people that had your town burned and your cousin murdered." He says respectively to Agnes and Henrietta.

This sends a flare of emotions through the two ladies. The memories bring a tear to Henrietta's eyes.

"I am furious, and I would like nothing else but to see him pay, but you have to be reasonable. You are planning on taking on a whole country." Agnes chimes in.

"I, as the Queen of Tristan, don't even have the resources to take on all of Galia. I love you, but this is ridiculous, Saito."

"Is it really that far-fetched? I took on an army of 70,000 in Albion." He tries to reason.

"And you nearly died." Agnes quickly blurts out in retort.

"Yes, Agnes, I nearly died. I am much stronger now, than I was back then though. I am also not planning on taking on the whole country, just King Joseph. It is Tabitha's country after all. I am willing to make a bet that a lot of people are following him out of fear and/or just because he is the King."

"And you're going to also endanger not only your life, but Tabitha's, Siesta's, and my cousin's lives as well." Henrietta says to Saito while she looks at Tabitha.

Tabitha nods and responds to her last statement.

"We want to go, even your cousin." She says to the Queen.

"I did try to get Siesta and Tiffania to stay, but they are as determined to go with me as I am on going to Galia."

"Can't you hold off and wait at least. So that we can try to do this in a way that is safer for all of you. We can try to get more proof. Then we can try to rally troops together, and I can try to get other countries involved."

He shakes his head.

"I cannot wait any longer for this. Every moment that goes by, is another moment that he could be up to another terrible plot. This man will stop at nothing to reach his own goals. As we have seen, he doesn't care what happens to anybody, even his own family. His evil has no end, and he needs to be stopped. Besides, If I wait for you to amass an army, then too many lives would be at risk. I am planning on fighting as few people as possible. My main goal is to only take him out and end his terrible rein."

"Wouldn't his death . . . . eat at your conscious? Even though we're not in them anymore, you still have . . . . . nightmares." Agnes says hesitantly as she tries to get her point across.

"Yes . . . . . I still have them. But those people were innocent. I can deal with his death. I feel that I would be saving countless more lives with the loss of just his. I don't want to see him threaten the lives of anyone else I care about. Who's to say that he wouldn't go after you, Henrietta."

The purple-haired Queen purses her lips out of worry and anger.

'I didn't want to do this, but he leaves me no choice. I hope he doesn't get mad at me.' The Queen thinks to herself while considering how he is going to react to her next statement.

"Saito, . . . . . . as my Chevalier, . . . . . . . I . . . . . . . order you . . . . . to not go."

This surprises Agnes and she drops her jaw.

Tabitha raises an eyebrow and thinks to herself.

'I was worried that she might say this, but it is still surprising to her say it to him.'

Saito stands there, unaffected.

"It would be treated as an act of war against Galia by Ttristan if you do this. So you would be putting this country at risk." She says to him in a serious tone.

Her posture falters and droops slightly as she feels guilty for saying that to him. She nervously looks at the floor.

He sighs.

"I knew that you were going to say that. Part of me wants to be angry with you for saying that just to get your way. Even though what you said is true, I know that you said that to me because you want to keep me safe."

He lifts her chin up with one of his hands and gives her a soft kiss on the lips. Tears are welled up in her eyes.

He takes a step back from her.

"I have thought long and hard about how I was going to handle this. First, I am sorry for what I am about to do."

Agnes and Henrietta get puzzled looks on their faces.

Tabitha wearily watches him as she realizes what he is about to do.

"I know that if I do this, that I would be endangering Tristan because I am your knight, your Chevalier. So don't take this as a slap in the face. I am doing this to protect you and the country."

He starts unfastening his mantle.

"Saito! Do you realize what you are doing?" Agnes asks in shock.

"I am denouncing my position as chevalier. I am no longer a part of the Tristan forces. By doing this, any actions I take from here on out will have no effect on Tristan."

He takes off the mantle and drapes it over his arm. Then he extends his arm out to Henrietta. She rushes up to him and puts her hands on his chest and looks into his eyes as she starts crying.

"Don't do this Saito. I can't help you or keep you safe if you do this. Plus, you could be ruining everything that we have been trying to do to build you up. This could break some of the relations you have with the other nobles."

He embraces her and kisses her forehead.

"I know, and I am sorry. I must do this though. Please don't try to physically stop me either."

She squeezes him tightly.

"Please don't go Saito! Don't do this!" She says frantically.

He lifts her head up again and kisses her passionately.

This manages to settle her down a little bit.

When he pulls away, he looks at her.

"Everything is going to be okay." He says to her as he wipes her tears away.

"I am very upset over this, but I really do understand. I just don't want to see you go."

"I know."

"Please be safe and come back when everything is done. I will try to hold everything together over here, but you're not leaving me in a very good position to help you."

"I know, and again, I am sorry for doing this."

She takes the mantle from him.

"What are your plans from here?" Agnes asks.

"I have a few things to take care of before we go. I need to visit to Valliere estate, and I think that Siesta wants to visit her cousin and her uncle before we leave."

"Could you make sure to tell Tiffania to see me before all of you leave for Galia?"

"I can do that."

"And Siesta." Agnes adds.

He gives her a nod and then he walks over to her. With the grab of his collar, she pulls him close to her.

"I am angry at you, but I still love you. None of you are allowed to die out there. I can't be out there and fight alongside you."

Then she kisses him deeply after saying that to him.

"I love you too Agnes."

He lets go of her and heads for the door with Tabitha following him.

Henrietta starts crying again as he walks out of the door.

As he passes by Julia, shock comes over her as she notices that he is no longer wearing the mantle.

"Saito?"

"Take care Julia." He says kindly to her as he keeps walking.

Agnes walks out from the room and shuts the door behind her. She stands near Julia as she watches him walk away.

'Everything inside of me wants to run over to him and be by his side, but I can't. He chose this. I have to trust him. I just hope Henrietta can handle this.'

Agnes' thoughts get interrupted by Julia.

"Captain? What's going on? He isn't wearing the chevalier mantle anymore."

"He is no longer a Chevalier."

"Huh! But why?"

"I can't tell you, but I am sure that you will find out soon enough."

Both of them wearily watch him walk away.

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Saito and Tabitha enter the Valliere home by a butler.

Cattleya comes down with Tabitha's to greet them.

"Hello Saito and Tabitha. It is good to see you again. What brings the unexpected visit?"

"I do apologize for the sudden visit. We are going to be taking care of some business, so I came to give you a treatment if that is alright."

"I don't see why not. Why don't you come have some tea?"

Tabitha gives him a nod.

'I will visit with mother for now. Take your time.' She communicates to him.

"That will be fine Cattleya."

She nods to a butler and then she links her arm with his and walks with him to the balcony.

"You seem to be quite well."

She nods and smiles at him.

"I most certainly am, thanks to you. I have been doing so much lately. I have really been enjoying life. Mother will probably not be joining us. She is busy right now with paperwork, and she does not like to be disturbed while doing that."

"That is great to hear. How is Eleonore doing?"

"She is doing fine as well. She is at the academy that she teaches at right now. I will have to tell her that you asked about her. She will be displeased that she wasn't here to see you."

"Why would she be so displeased?"

She quirks an eyebrow.

"You do realize that she considers you a good friend. Those are hard to come by."

"I'm sure that she has plenty of other friends though."

"Not like you. We both think very fondly of you. Even mother and father speak nothing but good things about you. Speaking of that, we owe you a great debt of gratitude. It was by your recommendation to the Queen that he was appointed ambassador to Albion. It was quite an honor to be chosen for that position by the Queen. We thank you very much."

"There is no need to thank me. I just told her who I thought was a good choice."

"Don't be modest, Saito. You have done so much for our family, and we haven't even done anything for you to deserve it."

"That's not true. Your sister helped train me in the ways of magic, and your family has been housing Tabitha's mother for me."

"That hardly even scratches the surface as to what we owe you for everything that you have done. You even came to my younger sister's rescue again with that recent attack on the school."

"I was just doing what is right."

"Well thank you Mr. Hero."

He scratches the back of his head and smiles at her.

A butler comes back with tea for them and pours both of them a cup.

"So, talk to me Saito. What is going on?"

"I told you, I wanted to make sure that you got a treatment in before I went to take care of business."

She puts a hand on top of his.

"Now, Saito, that is not going to work with me. What is going on? I enjoy seeing you, but what kind of business is it that you have to take care of that you had to rush my treatment?"

"Because it is you, I will tell you."

He takes a hard gulp and a long pause. She looks at him and waits for him to start talking. After a few more moments and a drink of tea, he begins talking.

"We are going to take out King Joseph."

"What!" Comes out of her mouth unexpectedly in surprise.

He almost jumps out of his chair.

"You're not serious are you."

"I am very serious. I am tired of everything that he has been doing. He even recently was going to have Tabitha taken and make her insane as well. His madness has no end, and I am going to put a stop to it."

"So, is that why you are not wearing the Chevalier mantle?"

"Yes, it is. I don't want my actions taken as an act of war against Galia, by Tristan."

"You do realize how insane of a task this is, right?"

"I know it seems insane. I do have a sort of plan, but I am not planning on taking on the whole country. I only want him."

"But you will surely have to face some of his forces before you could even get to him."

"That is an unfortunate unlikelihood."

She grabs his hand.

"Come on, let's get going."

"Where?"

"To see mother."

"But what about your treatment?"

"It can wait. This is more important."

"But doesn't you mother not want to be disturbed while she is doing paperwork?"

"I don't care."

'But what if I do?'

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Cattleya and Saito enter the main study.

"What is the meaning of this? You know that I do not like being bothered while I am taking care of things. By the way, hello Saito." She says sternly to them.

He nervously bows his head to her.

"I know mother, but this is really important."

Sensing the seriousness in Cattleya's voice, she changes her demeanor.

"What is going on?" She asks her a little more calmly.

Cattleya explains the situation to her mother.

"Saito, you are taking on quite the task."

He sighs.

"I know, but I feel that nothing good will come from him staying in power. I also don't want Tabitha's mother to stay in hiding like some kind of criminal on the run."

"I see your point, and I understand why you want to do this. As you understand, I cannot give you any official help, but I also don't want you to leave empty-handed. I think I know of a way to give you some help, but I will need to borrow you for a week and a half."

"A week and a half?"

She nods.

"I want you to go on a little trip with me to Albion. Tabitha will be welcome to stay here in the meantime if she so wishes."

"Where in Albion are we going? Are we going to see your husband?"

She shakes her head.

"No, we are going to see a friend."

"Okay? I guess I can wait a week and a half."

"Good. Then we will head out tomorrow. This will be fun."

'Oh boy. What did I get myself into?' He muses to himself.

"I will have to get a message out to Eleonore, I want her here while we are away."

"I need to get a message to the academy as well."

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After Tffania and Siesta had gotten the message that Saito was going to be gone.

Siesta stands outside in the courtyard with Agnes.

"So why did you request that I came here?"

"Well, I am glad that Saito gave you an extra week."

She takes a gulp.

"Ummmmmm. Why?" The maid nervously asks.

"That gives me a week with you for intensive training."

She whimpers to herself.

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Along the flight from Tristan to the floating island Albion.

Saito and Karin are riding on her manticore familiar.

"So, Saito, are you sure that you aren't interested in either one of my elder daughters?" Karin asks him out of nowhere.

"I can't."

"Is that because you are planning on marrying Tabitha?"

"Yes it is."

'Among four other reasons.' He muses.

"I see. So, it is not that you are not attracted to them."

"Oh, no. Not at all. They are both very beautiful women." He truthfully says to her.

"And if this plan of yours works out, then Tabitha's family would be put back into power and she would eventually become a Queen herself."

He nods in agreement."

"Interesting."

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At the docks at Albion.

Some screams are heard and a crowd gathers in a particular section of the port.

A tall man with a mustache starts making his way through the crowd, shoving people aside with his clipboard.

"Alright! Who is causing this disturbance on MY docks!"

As he finally makes his way through, he notices the manticore and Saito. Saito is trying to calm the people down.

Friedrich's body and his clipboard shake in anger.

"It's you, the chaos bringer!"

After hearing his voice, Saito looks over to Friedrich and waves at him.

"You have again brought disorder to my docks!"

Saito scratches the back of his head.

"Actually, It wasn't me."

"What do you mean it wasn't you?"

Just as he asks that, he hears a woman's voice from the other side of the manticore.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. He might eat you." Karin advises another man.

Friedrich's eyes go wide as Karin walks out.

He instantly bows to her as she walks up.

"Forgive me Your Grace. I did not realize that you were here. Please tell me that you are not here with this man?"

She chuckles a little bit.

"Well, actually, I am. What did you refer to him as again?"

"The chaos bringer."

She laughs and then looks at Saito.

"Well, well. It looks like you have yet another name Saito."

Saito puts his hand on his face in embarrassment.

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After flying past Londinium, they traveled toward the northern end of Albion.

They land near a large rock facing.

"Where are we?" He asks Karin.

Strong gusts of wind blow. Large, and beautiful rock facings are everywhere Saito looks.

"We are in the Highlands of Albion. This area is almost nothing but rock formations. The strongest winds in all of Albion are right here."

"So why did you bring me all the way here?"

"You are going against a strong enemy with such a small number of people. I wanted to help you, so I did the best thing I could for you. I brought you to a friend of mine."

"What kind of friend lives out here?"

Strong blasts of wind blow all around the two of them. Saito shields his eyes, but Karin hardly flinches from the ordeal. Visible winds start to take a humanoid shape in front of them.

Karin points to the form.

"This is my friend. She is the wind spirit that inhabits these highlands."

"Oh boy." He says as he stares at her.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 43 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 7

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	44. Chapter 44: Send A Message

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-Four

Send A Message

As the spirit stands in front of him, Saito gets a good look at her. The winds that make up her ghost-like form are constantly moving. She floats slightly above the ground.

"Hello Saito." She says to him. It comes out as a whisper, and it has a slight echo to it.

'I had a feeling that this is who Karin was taking you to.' Serena says to him.

'It would have been nice to know before we got here.'

'I did not want to say anything without being one hundred percent sure.' Serena says in response.

"How do you know my name? Did Karin already tell you about me?"

"She did not. The winds carried your name to me from the mouths of many on the island that you humans call Albion. You smell like the sea, and your feats have not gone unnoticed avatar of the water spirit."

He scratches his head.

"Should I take that as a compliment?"

She nods.

"I also see that you have Derflinger."

"Hello wind spirit. It has been a long time."

"I am very curious about you. You seem oddly familiar, but not at the same time. You hold the sword of the Gandalfr, but you can cast void magic."

"Well . . . . . About that . . . ."

He holds up his hand,

"I am no longer the Gandalfr, but I am still a familiar. I am able to cast magic in part of my new runes."

"May I see?" The spirit asks him.

He unbuttons his shirt and lets it down a little so that she may see the runes on his back. She moves around him in brisk and jagged movements, like the wind, to look at the runes

"Do you know what these mean you are?" She asks him plainly.

Just as he is about to speak, Derflinger interjects.

"I was sworn to secrecy to not tell him."

"Very well." She says after hearing what Derf said.

"Damnit Derflinger!" Saito yells out as he gets an annoyed look on his face.

She positions herself in front of him again.

"So, what brings the two of you here?"

Karin steps up.

"It is good to see you again Heavy Wind." The spirit says to Karin.

"It is good to see you again, as well. I brought him here to see if there was a way you could help this young man out."

"And what kind of help does he need? It must be something serious considering that you are here with him."

Karin gives her a serious look and tries to plead his case to her.

"Indeed, it is. He is going against a mad king who is in control of the rather large country of Galia. The king is powerful and his kingdom is vast. The perils he may have to face are unknown. The Mad Kings army consists of not only a vast amount of foot soldiers, but also air ships as well."

"But why should I get involved? These affairs do not concern me."

He kneels in front of her. And lays Derflinger on the ground in front of him.

"You are right, great wind spirit. There is no real reason for you to help. Perhaps I could do something for you in trade? Is there anything I can do? I could really use any help or training that you could give me."

She starts to float around him again in jagged movements. She gets a curious look on her face.

"You are willing to go that far to gain my help?"

"Yes." He responds back in a serious tone.

"This brings us to quite the conundrum."

Puzzled, Saito replies.

"How is that?"

"You have learned quite a lot from the heavy Wind. You have taught him well, Karin."

Karin bows her head in respect.

"Thank you. His performance is also excellent."

The wind spirit nods to her.

"So, the best way for me to be able to help you, would be to make you my avatar. But it seems that Serena has beaten me and got her hands on you first."

'You are MY avatar.' Serena says to him.

The wind spirit floats behind him and wraps her arms around him. One arm goes around his stomach, and the other goes over his shoulder and onto his chest. Her face goes by his ear and she smiles before whispering into it.

"I wonder if it is possible to become the avatar to multiple spirits?"

"I have no idea. I didn't even know you could even have an avatar until I became one to Serena." He says to her.

'Even if it is possible, I do not like the idea.' Voicing her opinion, Serena communicates to him.

"Serena doesn't like that idea."

She whips back in front of him and gets close to his face.

"He is the one that came to me. It would be interesting to see if it could work. I am willing to offer this to you if you desire it. Karin did bring you to me. If you take this, then I will ask a favor of you eventually."

"Ummmmmm. But what if this kills me?"

"Then I am sorry."

Karin quirks an eyebrow.

"That would not do at all. He needs to be able to treat my daughter."

'I am not in favor of this, but the decision is up to you. You are the one that asked her for help. I have no idea what will happen to you though. This has never been done before.'

'Thank you, Serena. I hope you do not feel like I am betraying you by asking her for help.'

'Nay. I know you are loyal. I am just . . . . discomforted . . . . by the thought of sharing you with another spirit. I have been humbled by watching your actions through your eyes though. Do what you must.'

"May I have a moment to think about this?"

"You may. Call for me if you decide to take my offer."

Just as she says that to him, she blows away, and disappears like dust in the wind.

He sits down on a rock.

Karin sits on a rock next to him and talks to him in a normal and caring voice.

"What are you going to do, Saito? This is a tough decision. Even though I brought you all the way out here, I would feel terrible if you died from taking this on because of me."

'I could think of a handful of others that might be angry with you as well. Speaking of that, maybe I should see what Tabitha thinks.'

He closes his eyes and focuses on her.

'Tabitha, can you hear me?'

'Yes. Is everything okay?'

'Well, at the moment, yes.'

'Explain?'

'Karin brought me to the spirit of wind in Albion. She has offered me to become her avatar as well, but we have no idea what will happen because I am already the avatar of water. I could die for all we know.'

'Then is it really such a wise idea to take the offer?'

'I would hate to make this long trip just to come back with nothing. And the wind abilities might really benefit me if we have to face any air ships.'

'But you could die and everything would be lost..' She states as she stresses this fact again to him.

He sighs.

'I don't know what to do.' He thinks out of frustration.

He frustratingly thinks back and forth about the pro's and con's.

"Screw it."

'We shall see if I live Tabitha. I want you to know that I love you.

'Please be careful. Don't die. I love you too.'

"Spirit of the wind, I am ready!"

Just as he finishes that sentence, Karin watches in shock as he gets ripped into the sky. He gets pulled into a white cumulus cloud. Winds blast so quickly around him that his clothes start to shred. She appears before him, embracing him.

"The name is Zephira, Saito."

"Zephira." He restates.

She smiles at him and then leans in to kiss him. As their mouths meet, she literally takes his breath away. His body flails momentarily as it fights for air. Just as he is about to black out, she embraces him tighter. She releases air from herself into him and his lungs fully expand. The oxygen from the air radiates through his whole body.

They slowly start descending back down to the ground.

She places her hands on either side of his face and she gives him a very satisfied smile.

He blushes while looking at her.

"That worked wonderfully my avatar."

"I don't seem to be dead, and I still feel the link with Serena."

'Serena?'

'Yes, we are still linked.'

'Good.'

Karin blushes and covers her mouth when they descend to the ground.

"Oh my, Saito, How indecent." She says with a slight hint of playfulness and a chuckle comes from her.

He looks at himself and notices that his clothes are all torn, revealing areas that he would rather not be revealed.

"Awwwwwww, come on. Really, Zephira!"

He hears a giggle from her in his head.

Then he hears a small grumble from Serena.

He tries to cover himself with his hands.

"How about you give your clothes to me and I will magically mend them for you." Karin says to him while trying to hold back a laugh.

You will train to my satisfaction over the next couple of days.

"Can we wait 'til my clothes are fixed?"

"I suppose."

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After a couple days of training in the highlands and making the long travel back, Saito and Karin make it back to her estate.

After settling in, Saito went into the study with Siesta, Tiffania, Sylphid, Tabitha and her mother.

Eleonore had asked Karin to talk in private. Her facial expressions and tone were very distressed.

Saito and the others were all gathered around some maps.

"These are great. It looks like you two really put your heads together on these while I was gone."

Tabitha and her mother smile at each other after hearing his praise.

"What is all of this?" Siesta asks.

"These are maps of Galia and the locations marked are possible locations of barracks. I asked Tabitha and her mother to mark these for me and they put together their heads. By having these, I am going to hit them where it hurts."

"But I thought that you only wanted King Joseph himself?" Asks the blond-haired half-elf.

Heavy concern for his well-being was in her voice.

"He is, but I have to be able to get to him."

Then he gives her a warm look.

"I am trying to kill everyone an order to get to him if that is what you are wondering. I've got a plan to act out a little bit of my own chaos. If it works like the way I want it to, then the only people that will be left in his ranks will only be his most devout followers. He might be called the Mad King, but I, according to Friedrich, am the chaos bringer."

She relaxes a little bit.

"What I am asking for is no easy task, are all of you really sure that you want to do this? There is still time to back out of this."

Siesta crosses her arms.

"Nice try darling, but I am going to go wherever you go."

Tiffania gives a nod in agreement.

"I am not going to back down either, dear"

Tabitha just stares at him and he gets her point.

Sylphid wraps her arms around Tabitha from behind and peers over her.

"Wherever she goes, I go. Yeah."

"Alright."

***Knock. Knock. Knock.***

They all look at the door, and Saito responds.

"You may enter."

Eleonore opens the door and slowly walks in.

"I am going with you as well."

His eyes go wide and his jaw would've hit the floor if it could've.

"Huh!"

"I think that I made myself quite clear. I am going with all of you. I cannot let the five of you do this alone. I am leaving my family so that my actions will not reflected back upon my family. Also, someone needs to watch your back."

She gives him funny little smirk.

"I have to make sure that you are able to come back and give my sister her treatments."

He smiles back at her, but then he raises his eyebrow and gives her a very questioning look.

"And your mother is okay with this?"

"Well, I . . . . . . . discussed . . . . . . it with her, and she gave her approval."

'Note to self, make sure she comes back unharmed or face Karin's wrath.' He makes a mental note to himself.

"Are you 100% sure that you want to do this. I don't want to put you in harm's way either."

"I would not have even thought of approaching my mother with this if I wasn't 100% sure. So, to answer your question, yes. I want to go with you."

"Then you came here at the right time. I was just about to discuss my plans with everyone."

"Good."

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At the border of Galia.

Saito, Eleonore, and Tabitha are walking along a road. All of them have their hoods up. Weylyn, Sylphid, Tiffania, and Siesta are trailing them nearby in the woods to make sure there isn't anyone in them.

"Are we really just going to waltz into Galia along a main road like this?" Eleonore asks.

"Just for the grand entrance of my plan. We will continue a little more stealthily after this initial encounter."

A dozen mounted men approach Saito.

"Please show yourselves and state your business here." One of the men orders.

Saito smirks as he takes off his hood.

"I am Saito Hiraga, and I am here to take out your king."

Tabitha takes off her hood to reveal herself as well.

"It's them!" The man yells out as he draws his sword.

Saito's eyes turn white and he lifts his arms from his sides to the front of him. A gust of wind blows at the men on their horses. Some of the men blow off the horses, and a couple of the horses blow over and crush the men that were on them.

Eleonore starts chanting a spell.

The man that approached Saito, gets up quickly.

While the man is still staggering up, Saito swiftly grabs his collar and places a foot behind the man as he trips him and slams him to the ground.

The color in Saito's eyes change from white to blue.

"Stand down or I WILL kill you." He says to the man.

A blast of water flies by Saito's head and knocks another man off of his horse that was holding a staff.

A side glance back reveals that the blast came from Eleonore.

"Icy wind!" Gets called out as Tabitha uses her signature spell on a couple of other men.

Cries are heard from the forest as Weylyn clamps down on an archer's arm.

Siesta rushes out to assist Saito and helps to disarm all of the men.

"Now that I have your full and undivided attention, let's get this over with."

The man gulps.

"Are you going to kill us?"

"Not unless you decide that you want to keep fighting. Are you going to keep fighting?"

He quickly shakes his head back and forth.

"Good. Now listen closely. I don't care how, but you are going to deliver a message to your king for me. You are going to tell him that I am coming for him. You got that?"

He vigorously nods.

"Now I have a second message to all of the men that serve under your king, the Mad King Joseph. Everyone needs to stay out of my way. Whoever values their lives, will stand down and put away their arms and armor. Otherwise, they will feel my wrath. The wrath of the man that solely fought 70,000 in Albion and survived. I want to also let everyone know that the previous queen is back in her right mind and her heir is also on my side. Have I made myself clear?"

He vigorously nods again.

"Now leave here."

Saito lets the man go, and he goes onto his horse along with the other men and leaves.

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At a local tavern of a city in Galia.

Siesta walks into the tavern and everyone stairs at her because she is in her maid outfit. Her distraction lets Saito slip in unnoticed while wearing his cloak with its hood up.

There are 10 men in the bar including the bartender and 1 bar maid.

Siesta is smiling the whole time.

Some of the men in the tavern eye her up with lewd eyes.

As she sits down at the bar, a knight in crude armor sitting next to her gets a lecherous grin and slowly starts to reach for her butt.

She quickly grabs his hand, twists it behind his back, and then proceeds to slam his forehead onto the bar.

"You bitch! How dare you!" The man yells out as he tries to fight her grip.

He has a hard time trying to fight against her and some of the other men start laughing at him.

"I am sorry, but the only person who is allowed to touch my butt, is my master."

He grits his teeth and looks as if he is going to reach for a weapon when an older, more distinguished man walks up next to them. He is wearing very finely crafted armor with a family crest clearly displayed on it and on the cloak he is wearing. Accompanying him are 2 guards.

He looks at the man sitting next to Siesta.

She lets him go and they both look at him.

"I think that you should leave her alone. Do you even know who her master is? For all we know she could be a maid to a very prestigious nobleman."

He shakes his head.

"No lord Conradin."

Then he looks at Siesta.

"I don't know what you are doing here, but this is not the kind of place someone like you should be in, even though I can see that you can handle yourself."

As he finishes his statement, he continues to walk towards a table in the back of the room. His guards and the bar maid follow.

The crude man sitting next to her glares at her and then goes back to his drink

The man behind the bar stands in front of where she is sitting.

"Even though I agree with what the lord had just told you, I will still serve you if you are here for a drink."

"Actually, I would like for you to pass a message around for my master." She says this very clearly and loudly enough for others to hear.

He quirks an eyebrow.

"And what is in it for me?"

She puts 5 gold on the table for him.

"I am listening." He says as he grabs the gold.

"My master is Saito De Hiraga. He is the man that took on an army of 70,000 in Albion and survived. He is also known as: The Water Demon, The Arch Angel of Water, the Sword of Justice, and The Chaos Bringer. He has gone head to head with the legendary Heavy Wind. He has cured the previous queen's madness."

His eyes go wide from everything that he has heard.

A couple of the other men nearly drop their drinks in fear.

The lord in the back of the room stares at her with an intrigued look as he listens in with a spell he cast.

"So, what is his message?" The man behind the bar asks.

"He wants Everyone to know that he is coming for your king for his injustices. All that wish to stay out of his way need to lay down their arms and armor."

The eyebrow of the man next to her twitches in anger.

"Excuse me young lady."

Siesta turns to look at the lord calling her from the back of the room.

"Would mind coming here for a moment?"

She stands up and walks over to his table.

"Please sit down."

She looks at him warily.

Saito also watches him from another part of the room.

She sits down.

"Is it true that the mind of the previous Queen has been restored?"

She nods.

"Yes, it has. My master cured her."

He sighs with relief.

"I had served under her and her departed husband's rule. It is good to hear that she is well. Tell me, what is your master's ultimate goal?"

"He wishes to take Joseph from the throne and restore it to the Precious Queen and her daughter."

"Lady Charlotte?"

"Yes."

"The king rules these lands with a heavy hand. Even though there are many that don't care for his rule, they care for the repercussions from defying him even less. Do you really think that people will stand down?"

"I truly mean everything that I have said. Every bit of it is true. He only wants the king. If everyone else understands this, then yes, they will stand out of the way of the sword of justice."

"Interesting."

"I suggest that you should leave at this point. Those that are the devoted will probably not take too kindly to this."

"Thank you Lord Conradin. You have been very kind."

He nods to her and drinks his drink. He watches her carefully as she leaves.

The man sitting at the bar follows her out with two other men.

The lord also sees a cloaked figure follow those men out.

'I knew it. A maid is usually never far from her master. If he is as strong as she said he is, then those men aren't going to know what hit them.'

"Sire, was it wise to just let her leave?"

He looks at the guard that asked that question.

"Do you think that a maid like her would be far from her master?"

He shakes his head after a moment of thinking about the answer.

"Then I made a wise decision to not act without being fully prepared."

"I am sorry for questioning you my lord."

'I hope he succeeds.'

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After walking outside, Siesta hear the three men that followed her out.

"You were foolish to come here by yourself."

They draw their swords.

She slowly turns around and smiles at them.

"I think that you were the ones that were foolish."

Saito draws out Derflinger and points it at his back.

"Did you really think that she was here alone?" Saito asks them.

While they are focused on Saito, Siesta draws out two hand muskets from inside of her skirt and points them at the other two men.

The townspeople in the area duck out of the way or run for cover.

"We can do this the hard way or the easy way. I would rather keep this easy and you just walk away."

"I bet that I would be rewarded greatly if I brought you to him dead or alive."

He turns and tries to attack Saito. Saito blocks his attack and then stabs him in the shoulder of the arm that is holding his sword. The man drops his sword to the ground and Saito forces him down the ground with Derflinger still jammed into his shoulder.

The other two men drop their swords and run off.

"Now stay down." Saito says sternly to him while pulling Derf out.

Saito turns to walk away and the man gets up and pulls out a dagger to still try and kill Saito.

Siesta shoots him in the back.

As blood flows down the man's back as he falls to the ground, Siesta still stands there with her musket pointed out.

He runs over to her and lowers her arm down.

"Let's get going Siesta."

She shakes her head as she comes back to reality. She puts her guns away and they run off.

The lord comes out of the tavern with his guards and sees the dead man.

"I told you."

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Back in Tristan, at the palace.

Henrietta is in council with some of the other nobles of Tristan.

"Why should we help him? He abandoned his title of Chevalier."

"He no longer has noble status, or is even part of our forces."

"The only reason he stripped his title was so that his actions wouldn't be viewed as an act of war by Tristan."

"If he did that then, why rally us together? There is no way we can take on all of Galia."

Karin clears her throat and some of the other nobles calm down.

"Wasn't it Saito that saved our Queen and many other countrymen when HE ALONE took on an army of 70,000. Wasn't it also because of his efforts that Albion became an extension of Tristan? We owe him a lot."

"Didn't your daughter leave as well?"

She glares at the nobleman that said that.

"She also denounced her name so that she may help him. She knew how . . . . unwilling and ungrateful others would be to help him." Karin replies.

"She is right though. Saito De Chevalier De Hiraga has done a lot for Tristan and its people. The problem still lies in the fact that we do not have the resources to take on Galia in an all-out war. If we had the aid of other countries, then perhaps we would be more easily swayed toward your cause. We know that King Joseph does not rule his people fairly." A nobleman speaks calmly in defense.

"There is also the fact that you lack very much hard evidence to prove everything that you have said."

"The idea of this conference was to gain your favor first, then I was going to go to the other countries for help." Henrietta says to the noblemen.

"You have my support only if we can gain the assistance of other countries."

"You have the full support of the Valliere family."

"As well as mine."

"I am undecided as of this moment."

"Then let us reconvene this conference at a later time. Please consider everything discussed for the time being."

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A day later, near an outpost in Galia. Early morning.

Saito and his group survey the outpost from afar.

"Apparently, they didn't take my warning seriously. It's time to show them how serious I am about this."

"So, what is the plan, Saito?" Siesta asks.

"We are going to flood them out."

Eleonore and Tabitha both raise an eyebrow.

"Care to elaborate?" Eleonore asks.

"Tabitha, I want you to raise walls on as much of the building as possible except the front door. Eleonore, I want you to reinforce those walls as she makes them. I just need access to a window at the top. I am going to blast water into the top and it should flood them right through the front doors."

He looks at Siesta, Sylphid, and Tiffa.

"I want you three to subdue them as they come out."

"What about the guard at the front?" Tabitha asks.

"I'll take care of him, and then that'll be everyone's cue to go."

Everyone nods.

Saito starts creating a bubble of water above the guard's head. Then he takes the ball and envelops it onto the guard's head.

He tries to scream, but nothing is heard because of the bubble.

Saito rushes over end slams the hilt of his sword into the guy's stomach. He releases the ball of water as the guy falls over.

He motions for everyone.

Tabitha and Eleonore quickly start making and reinforcing walls respectively.

Sylphid changes into her dragon form. Siesta unravels the band around her waist to reveal a long whip and Tiffa kneels down on the ground with Weylyn by her side.

Just as Tabitha and Eleonore finish the last wall, Saito floats up to the only window that was left uncovered and busts it with Derflinger.

A man on the top floor gets out a wand and begins chanting a fire spell.

"Let the raging waters of destruction flow forward, water blast!"

While using the wind to keep him in place, he blasts an insurmountable amount of water into the building. The causes the mage that was on the top floor to flow down the step.

As the place fills up, the front doors start creaking and buckling under the pressure. The doors burst open and all of the men inside burst out along with the water.

Tiffa starts chanting a spell to the plant spirits.

Sylphid uses her wings and tail to knock down any of the men that try to get back up.

Siesta uses her whip to disarm the men that managed to grab a weapon.

Tiffa finishes her spell and the ground begins to overgrow with vines. The vines twist and turn all around the bodies and limbs of all of the men, tying them to the ground.

Saito flies inside of the building using his wind abilities to see if anyone is still inside.

After a few yells and punches, another man flies out the front door.

Saito floats through the doorway and throws all of the enemy's weapons back into the building.

"This will be my example to all of those that may stand in my way."

He holds out his hand toward their outpost.

"Cen Jera tyre gyfu!" Saito casts the fire spell that he learned from Colbert.

Blue flames start engulfing the building and begin the process of burning it to the ground.

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Omake

A night with Karin

Eleonore walks into a modern school classroom and stands next to a chalkboard. She looks really annoyed.

She picks up a white piece of chalk and starts to write on the board.

She writes the word Omake.

She looks back out to everyone.

"For those of you that don't know what an Omake is, then I will explain. An Omake is an extra. It is like the shorts at the end of some anime that are totally unrelated to the anime or main plot."

She looks at a man standing off to the side.

"So, is that all I need to say?"

"Don't forget the other part."

Eleonore sighs.

"There are elements in this Omake that are from Autobot Rewind's Familiar of Zero story, but the Omake is not part of his story whatsoever."

Eleonore walks out of the classroom.

Lights go out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Karin and Saito go to their room and at an extremely elegant inn.

"Don't you want separate rooms?"

"Of course not."

'Of course not?' He questions in his head.

They walk into the room and it reminds him of a high-class hotel room.

While he is in awe of everything around him, Karin proceeds to get undressed.

He takes a look at the bed.

"Hey Karin, I think that they made a mistake. There is only one bed."

"Oh, no. that is no mistake."

He looks over to her.

"It's no…" His sentence gets cut off as he gawks at a nearly naked Karin in just her undergarments.

'Holy crap! She is smoking hot for having three daughters.'

After gawking for a moment reality sets back in.

"Oh my god! What are you doing?"

She smiles pleasantly and looks at him. Then she starts walking toward him, backing him up to the bed.

"My family owes you a lot for everything that you have done for us. You have also turned down Cattleya's and Eleonore's hand in marriage. So I thought that maybe you didn't want them because you wanted to enjoy the company of someone more mature instead. You were staring at me quite hungrily just a moment ago."

She pushes him onto the bed and starts crawling onto it with him.

"I figured that maybe we could finish our little date with something a little more fun. I also haven't been able to get much attention with my husband lately."

"Date?"

She nods with a smile.

'I'm going to die.'

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 44 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 7

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	45. Chapter 45: Berserk

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Wow – 100,000 views! I can't believe my eyes.

Sorry for the long delay. I had to get out a chapter for my Kenichi story.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-Five

Berserk

A cell door unlocks and slowly opens into Sheffield's dark cell room.

The sliver of light that widens as the door opens releases light into what was once a pitch-black room.

Sheffield is blinded from the influx of light and struggles momentary as she tries to readjust.

"Sheffield."

"Master. You have come back."

"There is a pest in my kingdom that needs to be dealt with."

"Who dares to come to your domain and cause you trouble?"

"Saito."

"Saito." She says very softly under her breath."

"I wanted to send him a little present for his efforts to wage a personal war against me."

"Jormungandr."

Joseph smiles insanely.

"Yes. You can still create it?"

"Yes, master."

"Good. Release her." He says to the guard standing next to him

A guard walks over and unlocks her restraints.

"Make sure that you are cleaned up before the next time I see you, and do not waste any time getting started on our little project."

"Yes master. I will not fail you again." She says compliantly as she rubs her aching wrists.

He turns around and walks away.

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One night, in a wooded area.

The group sits around a small fire while Weylyn keeps to the outskirts of the little camp.

"It seems like your plan has been working." Eleonore says to Saito.

"It's adding on a lot of time though." States the dark-haired maid.

"They're unable to predict our movements, and are caught unprepared for our random attacks."

He nods.

"This is just as I was hoping it would go. Not only did I get word out, but they can't set up an attack for someone that can't be predicted. "

"They could try to stop you if they knew where you were going to strike next, yeah."

"Exactly, Sylphid." He says to her, and she smiles brightly.

"How long are we going to keep this pace up though? This will become more taxing as time keeps moving on." Cautiously states Eleonore.

Siesta nods in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. This isn't exactly my cup of tea either. Traveling in RPG's is so much easier than in real life."

Tabitha looks at him curiously.

"RPG?"

"Sorry. It's a kind of game from where I come from."

"At least we will start the day off with a nice breakfast in the morning. Tiffania was such a help with gathering up some food today."

A smile is shared between Tiffania and Siesta from her compliment.

Saito smiles at the two of them as well.

'It is good to see those two getting along.'

"Weylyn helped us hunt down some food as well."

The wolf looks over at Tiffania when he hears his name and then sits by her side while she pets his head.

"We should get our rest now." Says Tabitha.

"I agree. I will take the first watch tonight." He says to everyone.

Everyone else agrees and starts settling in for the night. They had set up two small tents. Sylphid and Tabitha take one and Siesta and Tiffa settle into the other.

He gives Tabitha a kiss before she goes into her tent.

He kneels next to the other tent to check on the other two.

Eleonore watches the fire, but overhears him talking with Siesta.

"Can't you sleep in our tent tonight? I'm sure we could try to make room for you in here." She softly whines to him.

Tiffa pouts as well in agreement. Her ears tilt down a little bit.

"I would love to sleep next to you two, but there really isn't enough room for three in here. Plus, I'm not really sure how comfortable Eleonore would be sleeping next to anyone else."

They both pout at him.

He holds up his hands in defense.

"Maybe we can try another night."

Eleonore catches them both sneaking kisses from him as well.

'Is he in a relationship with all of them?' The blond Valliere wonders.

She sighs.

She tries to keep her cool as he comes back to the fire.

"Are you alright Eleonore? You seem pretty tired."

"I will be alright. I will be honest. I am not used to this kind of lifestyle. It is taking quite some getting used to. But I said that I wanted to come with you."

"I am thankful that you did. You have certainly been very helpful."

"Thank you. I have been getting to know your other friends quite well from this experience. It has been pleasant experience. Being around you, and now your friends, has truly been an eye-opening experience."

"What do you mean?" He curiously asks.

"Before you came around and I had to interact with you, I had a lot of things drilled into me about social class and how people should act. Since then, I have re-evaluated a lot of my thinking. So, thank you. And thank you for everything that you have done for my family."

"I am glad to hear that, and you're welcome."

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In the morning.

Eleonore starts to wake up.

'I feel so well rested for some reason.'

As she opens her eyes she realizes that she is resting on Saito's chest.

She blushes Fiercely.

'I must have curled up with him last night. It was chilly. Or did he do this on purpose?'

She looks up and sees that he is still resting.

Quietly, she sits up and gets another look at his face.

A smile creeps up on her facial expression.

'It was rather enjoyable waking up next to him.'

Then she shakes her head.

'What the hell am I thinking?'

She quickly, but Quietly exits the tent.

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At another outpost in Galia. A week after they had entered Galia.

"These Barracks are the largest we've come across, Saito?"

He starts rubbing his chin.

"You're right Eleonore." He says in response.

"Not heavily guarded though." Tabitha adds.

"Just one guard. Could this be a good thing?" Asks Tiffa.

"It could be."

"Or it could be a trap." Interjects Siesta.

"Alright, Here's the plan. . . ."

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"Is everyone ready?"

Siesta and Eleonore start to make their way to the rear of the barracks.

Sylphid walks up next to him from behind. He looks over and she is naked and puts her hands on her hips.

"Yep."

He blushes and turns away.

"Would you stop doing that to me."

"You know my true form is my dragon, and it's not like I wear any clothes while I am a dragon. Besides, you know I don't want to ruin the clothes"

"Ugh. Fine. Whatever."

Tabitha smiles in amusement.

"Let's just get going.

His eyes turn dark blue.

"Serena, great spirit of water, bring forth a fog to cover my actions and impair our enemies."

As he finishes that sentence, a fog starts rolling in from behind him and slowly engulfs the whole area.

The guard stands ready, but starts sweating.

Because of her acute vision, Tiffania starts walking toward the guard without any problem and chants the spell to make the guard forget.

"Nauthid isa eihwaz . . "

He starts frantically looking around for whoever is chanting the spell.

"Who . . . who's there?"

"Hagalaz ur beorc nyd is algiz berkana man lagu."

She finishes the spell and the guard becomes confused.

"Huh? What's going on? How did I get here?"

Being able to see as clear as day, Saito rushes at the guard and punches him in the face and knocks him out. Then he quickly uses another spell to see if the door is magically enchanted that he learned from Tabitha.

"Odd. It's not enchanted. Get back Tiffa."

She stands against the wall next to the doorway.

"Explosion!" He hollers out and the door explodes apart.

White starts swirling in his eyes.

"Body of air."

'Having learned how to control my form and use the body of water ability with the powers granted by Serena, I have been able to learn how to do it easily with Zephira's powers as well.'

His body changes to a form that is similar to Zephira's.

He quickly floats inside and Tiffa rushes in with her companion as well.

Eleonore creates a stairway that Siesta runs up and onto the upper level of the barracks. Then She casts a flight spell on herself that she learned from her mother and flies in as well. The two of them infiltrate the insides of the building.

Sylphid changes into her dragon form and takes off with Tabitha. The start circling around to take out any enemies.

After a minute of floating around like a ghost in a foggy nightmare for a minute, Saito and Tiffa come across a single man in armor in the middle of the training courtyard. He is on his knees with his sword and helmet laid out on the ground in front of him. He is armored and is wearing a cape with a family crest on the back of it. His eyes are closed.

After sensing that no one else seems to be in the area except for three others that Siesta and Eleonore walk out with, he turns himself back to normal.

Then he dismisses the fog.

"It was brave of you to be here. I could've killed you." He says to the man kneeling in front of him.

The man opens his eyes.

"I knew that you wouldn't if I was like this. I told my army to go to their homes. The ones that didn't have anywhere else to go, found a place to go to. Those three I kept here to help take of the place since no one else was around. How is my guard?"

"His face might hurt a little bit, but he is not dead either."

"That is good to hear. Thank you for not killing him."

"You're welcome. So, who are you?"

"I am a general for the lord of this area. News had gotten around about what you are doing. My lord did not wish to lose his army and he wishes to stay neutral as long as he can.

"May I ask who your lord is?"

"Lord Conradin."

'The man from the bar.'

"Thank you for your cooperation and tell your lord, thank you."

He then scratches the back of his head.

"Sorry about the door."

Him and Tiffa turn to leave.

"Wait a moment Saito."

"Yes?"

"My lord also a had something else for me to tell you."

"And what is that?"

"Please end this quickly."

"I will try."

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Roughly two weeks in.

In a meeting with the Pope of Romalia, Vittorio Serevare, Saint Aegis the 32nd.

A man that is 20 stands before Henrietta. He is wearing white and gold priest outfit with a purple and gold robe over it. There is also a dark purple and gold sash over all of that.

"Hello your Majesty. How may I help you?"

"Thank you for having me, your Holiness. It was also nice of you to invite some of the students and staff from the academy as well for your ceremony."

"Oh. What kind of help might you need?"

"Saito Hiraga. . . . "

"Has waged a war against King Joseph."

Henrietta gets a surprised look on her face as he finishes her sentence.

"I heard the details from Julio and Louise."

"I had heard that she was coming here."

"And she did. She came here and accepted the role of priestess that I offered her."

'She always was a true follower of the Brimir faith.'

"She was honored to take the position, especially after I had told her that we might be able to solve this issue."

"Solve this issue? So, does this mean you are going aide us?" She asks curiously.

"No. My plan is to show the King the error of his ways by uniting the void users and their familiars here."

"Uniting the void users? What do you mean?"

"Joseph is a void user."

"What? Are you sure? And how is having Louise here going to help." She asks the Pope while in shock.

He nods his head.

"He is, and I am also an inheritor of the void. Julio is my familiar."

A bigger shock come over Henrietta from this new information.

"It is regrettable that Saito is no longer Louise's familiar, and that Tiffania is also not here. But I still hope to sway him by having two of the four void users here and a void familiar."

Henrietta tries to hide it, but she is concerned at how knowledgeable he is about everything.

'I wish I could get a message out to Saito about all of this.' The queen thinks.

"This man killed his brother and poisoned his brother's wife. He has also done many other horrible things. I don't see any way that you would be able to convince . . ."

"Please have faith, your Majesty. We need him to join our side."

"You need him?"

"If I fail, then Halkeginia may face a crisis of an unprecedented scale that only the void users can stop. The fate of the world rests on this."

'There is no way that Joseph will change. Can't he see this?' She thinks to herself.

"Please stay here for the three day ceremony for the third year of my ascent."

'I don't like this. He has been after Louise. Hopefully his guards and Undine knights that are here will be enough help to make sure that she stays safe. I also don't like staying in case something happens to Saito. And how much is Julio being affected by the runes?'

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A few weeks in.

Saito's group was walking near a road, and they see an army in the distance. There is also a single airship floating above the army. A man with a spyglass points in Saito's direction and tells the lord next to him. The lord gallops forward on his horse. The general with the spyglass holds up his hand to keep that army at bay.

"I am going out there." Saito says to everyone.

Tabitha quickly grabs his arm.

"Are you sure that is wise?"

He nods to her.

"I think so. It looks like he wants to talk. I am curious though. How did he know I was going to be here? Everyone be ready in case this goes sour."

He starts briskly walking to the lord.

Sylphid gets undressed and changes into her dragon form and Tabitha gets on.

Siesta walks a little bit out from the group and readies her hand muskets.

"What are you doing Siesta? Get back here with the rest of us. This is dangerous!" Eleonore tries to warn her.

"I need to be as close as possible to him. If something goes wrong, then I want to be able to reach him quickly."

Eleonore grumbles a little bit, but doesn't say anything more.

Saito reaches the man as he gets off of his horse.

"Are you Saito Hiraga?"

"Yes I am."

"Well, then we have a problem."

"Let me guess, you are going to stop me."

"Yes, I was ordered to stop you."

"I have a curious question for you. How did you know that I was going to be here?"

The lord laughs.

"Well that is a story in itself. You see, we have actually been out here three times. It was pure stroke of luck that we have actually ran into each other. I figured that you might eventually come this way."

Saito laughs as well at this.

"Wow. I'm impressed that you went to that kind of trouble." He says honestly to the lord.

"Thank you."

"Now, back to business."

"You are right. We could end this very easily if you give up."

"Or you could put down your weapons and let us pass."

"I have an air ship and I have an army that is 10,000 strong behind me."

"You are aware that I have taken on an army 70,000, right?"

"I don't believe everything I hear. There is no way that you could have done that by yourself."

Saito was about to speak up, but then the lord holds up a hand.

"But." He says to Saito.

"But?"

"I do care about my army, and I would rather not lose them in a mistake of my misjudgment. So, I will make a proposal to you if you are as honorable as I have heard you are."

"I am listening."

"If you can prove to me how powerful you are WITHOUT harming myself or anyone else here, then I shall let you pass through here without a fight."

"Really? No tricks."

The man shakes his head.

"No tricks. I do not want to be the person that let 10,000 men needlessly die after being warned."

"Very well. I shall honor your request. I would rather not have any unnecessary bloodshed either."

His eyes turn blue and he raises his hand into the air.

At that very moment a loud boom is heard.

"What the hell?" utters out of both of their mouths.

A cannon ball smashes into the ground right next to Siesta and causes her to fly into the air. Debris flies into the air all around her as well. After causing her to spin in the air from the explosion, she hits the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Saito turns his head to look, and sees her motionless body on the ground.

Eleonore and Tiffa rush over to her while Tabitha takes off with Sylphid.

Saito quickly turns his head back to the lord with gritted teeth.

"No! How dare you. So, is this what you really wanted? You tricked me!" He yells out at the lord.

The lord holds up his hands.

"I swear I didn't do this."

Saito growls and white starts swirling with the blue in his eyes.

"Blast of wind."

A semicircular blast of wind blasts out from Saito and knocks back not only the lord, but also part of the army.

He takes a few sprinted steps toward the direction of the ship and on the third step he starts flying into the air.

"Everyone please stop!" The lord and his commander tries to yell out to stop everyone.

"Kill the traitor!" A general in the middle of the army yells out to the men behind him.

"For King Joseph!" Another one calls out.

An arrow flies through the air and hits the lord, and then another.

The front commander and a couple of other knights go by his side to protect the lord.

"Fight back! Protect the lord." The commander says to the men in front.

A civil war starts happening amongst the troops as they fight each other.

Tabitha sees this and starts attacking the men that caused the coup d'etat against the lord.

Tiffania and Eleonore try to remove some of Siesta's garments and weapons so that they can assess her. They remove weapon after weapon.

"How the hell was she able to carry so much on her person?" Eleonore states as they frantically try to help her.

Another blast is heard from the ship.

Eleonore quickly gets up to try to put up a wall before it comes down, but then she sees Saito fly between them and the ship and watches as his body changes into its wind form again.

He shoves his hands forward and wind blows out. The wind becomes so strong that the cannon ball stops in front of Saito, and then it blasts back at the ship. The ball blasts through the ship, but that doesn't stop Saito.

He loses track of thought as he thinks about Siesta lying lifeless on the ground.

"Water shield!"

A giant shield of water forms in front of him as he flies faster and faster at the ship. A splash occurs as he smacks into the side of the air ship, and then again as he exits out the other side. Wood pieces and other items fly out of the ship from him flying through it. He swings around flies at the ship again. He rages against the ship and continues this process over and over again as he turns it into swiss cheese.

Tiffa and Eleonore watch in horror as they keep turning their attention between him and Siesta.

Tabitha and Sylphid use fire to block the enemy. Some of them catch on fire and burn to death. Then she starts swooping down and snatching some of the loose ones among the army fighting them back.

After assessing the situation, Tiffa turns to Eleonore. And speaks to her in a serious tone.

"I can handle Siesta! She actually isn't that bad off! You need to stop Saito!"

"What? Why?"

"I don't have time to explain, but you have to or he will hate himself for killing them like this!"

"But how?"

"I don't know, just do whatever it takes! You are the only one that can do this!"

She turns her attention back to Siesta. A green glow emits from her hands as she starts casting a healing spell.

Eleonore casts a flight spell on herself and starts flying up towards Saito. She tries yelling out to him to no avail.

The airship starts to falter. He creates a partial tornado in the air and it consumes the ship and begins ripping it apart. The few men on the ship start swirling along with the debris in the wind.

She could see the anger on his face.

Serena and Zephira even try shouting out to him to no avail as well.

'Do anything I can to stop him.' Eleonore repeats what Tiffania said to her.

With a determined face, she flies even closer toward him.

'I can't cast any other spells while doing this. So, I guess I only have one choice. Forgive me everyone.'

She flies right into the front of him, embraces him and kisses him.

Tiffa's mouth drops in shock as she sees this after healing Siesta.

Tabitha also sees this as she notices the tornado dissipate.

Eleonore pulls away, and they both looks at each other while furiously blushed.

"Siesta is okay. Tiffania healed her. She told me to stop you and that you would hate yourself if you continued like the way you were."

He looks over her shoulder and sees the men and the ship falling.

"We'll talk about this later."

He shifts her behind him and he uses gusts of wind to slow the descent of the men and blow the ship wreckage away.

The men continue to fight each other, but Tabitha and Sylphid manage to separate most of the two factions.

He lands on the ground.

"Stop!" He tries to yell out at them, but it doesn't work.

'Tabitha, get out of the way and move behind me.'

She follows his instruction.

He angrily raises his hands in the air.

"I said stop. Downburst! He calls out as he calls upon a massive burst of wind using his avatar abilities. The burst of wind causes everyone to hit the ground.

"Serena! Great water spirit. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

Then he uses his wind avatar abilities.

"Zephira! Great wind spirit. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may also defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

An army of water elementals forms and then an army of wind elementals appear. He uses them to surround the other portion of the army.

He walks over to the downed Lord.

The men that were by him, block Saito from approaching him.

"Move out of the way or else."

"But our lord . . "

"Will be fine if you let me heal him."

They move out of his way and Saito kneels down next to him.

He pulls out the arrows and then puts his hand over his chest.

"Weise Heill."

The wounds heal and then he looks up at Saito.

"Why did you save me."

"You weren't the one that attacked. The other men had other objectives. I assume they were more devoted to Joseph than you."

"Thank you, Saito." He says to him as he stands up.

They shake hands.

"Will you allow me to handle these traitors?" He asks Saito.

"Will you stay out of my way?"

"Yes."

"By the way, sorry about your air ship. I don't think that it is salvageable."

The Lord looks over and gets a terrified look as he stares at the wreckage.

Saito walks over to Siesta while the army disarms the traitors among them. He kneels down next to her as he also looks to Tiffania.

"She is okay now. Her wounds are healed, but she will probably be pretty sore for a while."

"Thank you so much Tiffa."

Siesta slowly looks up at him and gives him her smile that he loves to see.

"I'm . . . okay . . . darling."

He smiles back at her and gives her a kiss on the forehead while he cradles her.

Eleonore walks up to the group. She is still blushing.

Tiffania just stares at her for a moment.

"What? You did say to do whatever I had to do. I couldn't think of anything else." She retorts back to Tiffa.

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Sometime after the Popes celebration.

Julio stands in front of Henrietta while she finishes reading a letter. Both of them are frowning.

"So, not only did a mirror get stolen from the pope, but Louise got captured by people hired by Joseph." She says to him.

He sadly nods.

"And there are some airships along our border."

"This is terrible, Julio."

"It honestly is. I tried to protect her, but they caught us off guard. I wanted to go into Galia and try to find Saito so that I can try to tell him and get his help to save her."

"That would be complicated. I know his plan, but I don't know his exact location right now because I can't communicate with him. The country is also on high alert."

He sighs.

"But stay here, Julio. Maybe something will come up." She says comfortingly to him.

'I hope everything is going to be okay with Louise. This complicates things even more. This means I won't get much help from Romalia because of the ships on their border. And Germania is facing some kind of trouble too. So they can't send me a lot of troops for help either.'

"Thank you, your highness."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 45 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is now at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	46. Chapter 46: Battlefront

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Giant chapter time.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-Six

Battlefront

That night.

Saito had been staying by Siesta the whole time, making sure that she is okay. She was rather quiet from being sore. She kept blushing a lot though from getting so much attention from him. She had also found out about what happened while she was unconscious from Tiffa.

Tiffania had taken on the task of cooking this time, so that Siesta wouldn't have to. She was making a simple stew.

Eleonore kept trying to keep herself occupied so that she wouldn't have to deal with not only everyone's glances, but also her own feelings over what happened earlier that day.

Everyone wanted to say something, but nobody was saying anything.

'I can't believe I did that. What was I thinking? There must have been something else I could've tried. Now I've got everyone staring at me.'

She starts to give a glance at Saito. But they both end up turning their heads away quickly when they end up noticing each other.

She puts a hand on her face out of confusion and fluster.

'Damnit. I can't even look at him. What am I supposed to do?'

Tiffani finishes making the stew and starts handing out portions to everyone. She walks over to Saito and hands him two portions. He takes Siesta's portion and gets a spoonful ready. After blowing on it a couple times, he offers it to her.

"You shouldn't be doing that. I am the maid, and I should be doing that for you."

"Don't be stubborn, Siesta. You are injured. So, let me do this for you tonight."

She blushes lightly after looking at the smile he was giving he.

"Okay." She says out of defeat to him.

For a moment, Eleonore watched the two of them interact. A small smile makes its way to her facial expression as she sees how much care he was giving Siesta. Then she begins to look over in Tabitha's direction and nearly jumps out of her skin when she sees Tabitha staring at her with a blank look on her face.

The short moment that this carries on in seems like an eternity to the blond-haired Valliere.

She takes a gulp.

"You kissed him." Gets said very simply and calmly to Eleonore by Tabitha.

Everyone else tries to pretend that they're not listening, but completely are.

She keeps staring at Eleonore as though she were going to get her answers just by staring into Eleonore's soul.

A sigh escapes Eleonore's mouth and then she slightly turns toward Tabitha while on the crude rock bench that she had created. She puts down the cup that her stew was in.

"Yes. Yes, I did. I am sorry. I know that you two are in a relationship. That was careless and disrespectful of me." She says humbly and apologetically.

"Did . . . .you . . . mean . . . . it?"

Her stare at Eleonore never falters.

Eleonore fidgets slightly and nervously looks at the floor.

"I . . I think that we should put this off until after everything is over." She guiltily says to try to shy away from the subject.

She clasps her hands together on her lap.

Tabitha quirks an eyebrow and leans a little closer towards Eleonore's direction.

'I can tell that there must have been something more to that kiss than just breaking Saito's rage. Her whole demeanor has changed because of the subject.' The blue-haired princess thinks to herself.

"Why?"

"Be-because . . . . we need to keep our focus. I don't want this to distract our attention. I promise to talk to you about this when everything is all over."

'Even though I know that this has probably already done some jeopardizing, But I need some time to think about this myself.' Eleonore inwardly tells herself.

Tabitha purses her lips and becomes minorly annoyed.

'I personally think that this would be better taken care of now, but perhaps she has made a point.'

Her facial expression softens a little.

"That won't be easy to do, but fine. We will discuss this another time."

They go back to eating.

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After finishing their meal and cleaning up, everyone starts settling in for the night.

Saito starts helping Siesta into her tent.

"Saito!" Eleonore calls out.

Everyone looks at her.

Saito finally looks at her eye to eye.

"Yes, Eleonore?"

"Why don't you stay with Siesta tonight. That is as long as if Tiffania doesn't mind sleeping next to me." After saying that, she looks at a Tiffania.

Tiffa looks back at her with a slightly shocked facial expression, but then nods her head and speaks.

"That would be fine with me."

"Thanks, Eleonore." He responds back to her after hearing Tiffa's reply.

Siesta breaks away and slowly makes her way over to the eldest Valliere daughter. Then she gives her a light hug.

"Thank you." Siesta says softly to her.

"I'm glad you are okay." She says back to the maid as she returns the hug.

Saito gives her a nod with a smile.

Siesta walks back over to Saito and he helps her into the tent.

As she lays down, she could see some frustration on his face.

"What's wrong Saito?"

"Nothing."

She grabs the sides of his face.

"You're a liar. Tell me what's wrong?"

He sighs.

"I really started to lose it today."

She gives him a soft smile.

"No one can blame you for that Saito. In fact, I find it a little flattering."

"Flattering?"

She nods.

"You went that far because of how much you love me. My darling saw me get hurt and was willing to take out the world for me." She says with a smirk.

"I wasn't expecting to hear you say that."

"What? Were you expecting for me to call you some kind of monster? Well that wasn't going to happen. I'm just glad that you didn't go all the way though. Besides, it worked in my favor."

"And how is that?"

"I get to spend a night with you."

They both chuckle a little, and then they share a passionate kiss. Afterward, he gently curls up next to her. She winces a little and he tries to back away. Quickly grabbing his arm, she reels him back in.

"But . . . "

"No buts mister. I am not wasting this opportunity."

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Eleonore heads for her tent and Tiffania follows shortly behind.

Eleonore lays on her back as they both start settling in.

"Hey Tiffania?"

Tiffa leans on her arm as she turns to her side to face Eleonore.

"What is it, Eleonore?"

"Why were you so adamant about me stopping Saito from killing those men? They attacked Siesta and could've killed her. I don't understand."

"First off, even though you gave everyone quite the shock from that, I want to thank you for stopping him. I am happy he didn't get to finish that with the way he was."

"But why?"

"We weren't telling anyone else, but I will tell you. He has suffered a lot from the battle he fought in Albion. He killed so many people even though almost all of them were under mind control. To him, it was like killing thousands of innocent people. He even suffers nightmares from it."

Shock strikes Eleonore as she listens to Tiffania.

"I didn't know any of this."

"Like I said, we were trying to keep this amongst ourselves."

"So, he would have been angry at himself if he would've killed all of those men today out of a fit of rage."

Tiffa nods in agreement to Eleonore's conclusion.

"I am so sorry to hear that he has been suffering this whole time. I wish I would've noticed."

Tiffa shakes her head.

"He kept it from almost everyone for a long time. Even Tabitha didn't know for a while. He was keeping it almost completely to himself."

"That explains his actions here in Galia."

"He only wants to get at Joseph. That is why he has gone so far out of his way to make sure that kills as few as possible. He only wants to kill if it is necessary. He originally only wanted to do this by himself."

"Taking on the whole country by himself. That sounds like him, but that is too much for any one person. I am glad I have been here to help. Thank you for talking to me Tiffa. I am glad to have gotten to know all of you better."

Tiffa smiles at her.

Eleonore curls over with her back to Tiffania.

"I don't know what your feelings are like for Saito, but if there really was something more there to that kiss, then I can't blame you. He has a way of touching everyone's heart."

"Thank you, Tiffania." She says in return with her back still turned to Tiffania.

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During a moment of rest along their journey.

Everyone is all sitting down in various spots amongst some trees during a moment of rest along their journey.

Saito is sitting on a rock and looking over a map with Tabitha.

"I think it is almost time to wrap this up and hit him strait on. This is starting to really wear on everyone and I don't want any more close calls like we had with Siesta. One more raid and then let's move in."

She nods.

"It seems like he is losing a lot of ground within his own country. You have been making quite the impact."

"I am sure having you here as well has added on to the effect."

They start looking for a place for their last raid.

"I think that this might be a good spot for the next raid." She says as she points at the map.

All of a sudden, Weylyn starts growling.

Saito instantly enhances his senses with his avatar powers and senses movement in the wind behind Eleonore. The wind also echoes the sound of a bow string being pulled.

"Shit!" He yells out as he blasts a gust of wind.

The wind blows and as it blows, some of Eleonore's hair blows to the side. An arrow narrowly passes by her head and slices a few strands of hair.

Her eyes go wide in shock as the arrow wizzes by her head.

"Winds! Guide this arrow back to whence it came." Saito chants out with white eyes.

The winds pick up and the arrow blows back in the exact direction it came from and a scream is heard as it pierces him.

"Go, Weylyn!" Tiffania shouts out and he darts off to the source.

Saito also darts off after the person.

Weylyn catches up to the person quickly and latches onto his leg while growling and snarling.

"Get down Weylyn!"

As the wolf listens, Saito raises his hand as if he was holding something.

"Ice javelin!"

A javelin made of ice forms in his hand and he throws it at the assassin. Another scream is heard while it pierces his shoulder, and he falls to the ground.

Saito catches up to him. He tries to get up to start running again, but he gets shoved back down by Saito. While trying to struggle against Saito, Saito grabs the javelin and moves it around. The assassin screams out of pain again, but he reaches for a dagger.

A blast of water from behind them knocks the blade out of his hand.

The assassin is wearing green and brown clothing to fit in with the trees and grass.

He punches the assassin in the face.

"Stop fighting!"

"The true followers of Joseph will never yield to the likes of you."

Then you will be my example.

His hand glows blue and he places it on the assassin's chest. He still tries to fight against him to no avail.

"Dehydrate!"

He gasps as water leaves his body. His eyes sink in and his body shrivels up like a raisin from all of the water leaving his body. He fights back no more as he is dead.

Then Saito looks up and out into another direction. He senses the water of another person that has not moved from his position.

"I know that there is another one of you out there. I don't know if you are an assassin or an observer, but I want the king! No more assassins!"

The sounds of a person running away is heard.

Sylphid was about to change into a dragon, but then gets stopped by the wave of his hand.

"Let him go. He isn't posing as a threat anymore and is going to deliver a message."

"Awww! I got undressed in record time for this!"

Almost making the mistake of looking over, Saito resisted the urge to look over and just puts a hand over his face.

"Well, then why don't you try to get dressed in record time." He says to her after a sigh.

She pouts.

"You're no fun."

He looks over to Eleonore who has a couple orbs of water floating around her.

"Are you all right?"

She nods at him.

"I am thanks to you. That would've been my head if it wasn't for your quick thinking."

He sighs.

"I am glad that you are unharmed."

He gets up and starts walking away.

Tabitha walks over to the shriveled-up corpse that lies on the ground.

'I am glad that Saito is not an evil person. He really would be terrifying as a villain.'

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Saito unravels a letter that a man was holding at the next outpost that he had gone to.

"So, what is it, Saito?" Siesta asks.

"It's a letter from Joseph."

"I guess he really wanted you to get that letter considering that he sent one of these to every outpost." Tiffania adds.

"That's good, yeah?" Sylphid asks.

"Perhaps." Eleonore says to the young dragon.

Saito looks up as he finishes reading it.

"He wants to have a final showdown near a city called Troyes."

Tabitha narrows her eyes as she thinks about the city's location.

"I can't think of anything special about that place. The city is just a hub for commercial trade. There is nothing but plains all around it. There is no real tactical advantage other than the area being wide open enough for armies."

"This is obviously a trap Saito." Eleonore says.

"No doubt, but all of this needs to end. I will meet this challenge head on."

He looks back to Tabitha.

"Any more ideas about the location, Tabitha?"

She shakes her head.

"I am also surprised that he would have it so close to the borders of Tristan. Wouldn't it be more tactically advantageous for him to have me further away from the borders?"

"It would be. Cutting off your escape routes and sources of help would be advantageous in having a battle against you." Eleonore says in response.

"Maybe it doesn't matter to him." Adds the maid.

Saito scratches his chin.

"I don't know. I wish I could get a message to Henrietta to tell her about what is going on. A cell phone would be wonderful right about now." He simply says.

"Cell phone?" Tabitha inquires.

"It's a device from my world that allows you to communicate to anyone around the world that has a similar device."

"That WOULD be great right about now." Eleonore says in agreement.

'There is a way, Saito.' Zephira communicates to him.

'There is?"

'Yes. You could send a message in the wind using your abilities.'

'Now you tell me.'

'You never asked.'

He smacks his head.

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Julia lets in Aimee, who is holding a rolled up document.

Agnes meets her half way and grabs the letter from her.

"I think that you will find this very important, your majesty. A man claiming to be a messenger from an ally Saito gained in Galia gave this to me." Aimee says to her with urgency.

Agnes brings it over Henrietta and Henrietta quickly opens it.

"He said that this letter was given to many lords throughout the lands in case they ran into Saito." Aimee adds.

"Thank you, Aimee. That will be all." Henrietta says to her.

She bows her head and goes back out into the hallway with Guinevere and Julia.

Henrietta reads the exact same letter that Saito had gotten a hold of.

"I think it is time to rally as many troops as possible. I cannot sit idly by anymore. I have to help him no matter what. They have been out there this whole time without any other help. It is time for me to do what I can."

"Can we really trust this letter, your highness?" Agnes asks.

"We don't have any other choice."

Just as she says that to Agnes, a strong gust of wind blows through the window and carries a piece of paper to the Queen.

"What the heck?" They both say.

She unravels it to find that it is a message from Saito.

"This is from Saito. He says that it looks like that everything is going to be coming to a close. He says to wish him luck. He also says that the king contacted him for their final battle. He didn't give a location. Did he purposely not tell me so that I keep out of this?"

Agnes crosses her arms.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he did, but his letter seems to coincide with this other letter."

"So, if that is true. . . " Henrietta starts to say.

"Then we have the exact time and place where Saito is going to be." Agnes finishes.

"And we can come to his aid."

"Is this really wise though?" Agnes asks with caution in her voice.

"We have no choice. They have Louise. They might try to use her against him somehow. The time to help him is now. We need to contact the other lords and have an emergency meeting now. Also call for Julio. I am sure he will want to know this as well."

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Joseph sits at his desk with his hands folded in front of his face in contemplation.

***Knock, knock, knock.***

"It is I, Sheffield, my master." Sheffield says from the other side of the door.

"Come in my muse."

She enters in and kneels before him.

"What is it?"

"The messenger delivered the message to the Queen, just as planned."

He gets out of his chair and walks over to three glowing red orbs that are on pedestals.

"Good. My plan is working perfectly. Let's see how he will handle having to do things without having the space all to himself to let loose."

He starts smiling and laughing.

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The requested day.

Saito and the rest of the group slowly approach their destination, and in the distance, they see an army along with 11 airships.

Tabitha flies down next to the rest of the group.

"There looks to be 50,000." She says to them.

"I've faced worse odds, but they do seem to be formed a lot better."

"They haven't started attacking us. Perhaps he wants to talk first?" Eleonore states.

"Maybe he just wants to be friends." Jokingly says Siesta.

Everyone gives her a goofy look.

She giggles and then Saito shakes his head.

"Well. I guess I should go out there. The rest of you stay back."

Tabitha glares at him.

"What?" He says to her.

"I think that she means that we're going with you." Tiffania tells him.

"You would be foolish to think that we would let you go by yourself at this point." Eleonore also adds.

"But . . ." He starts to protest.

He stops when he sees Siesta waving her finger at him.

"Don't even think about it."

He groans in defeat.

"Alright, but stay on your guard."

They start making their way up.

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On Joseph's Airship.

He ungags Louise, whom is tied up. Sheffield stands nearby while holding a finely designed mirror.

"What do you want from me, Joseph. If you are trying to get any information from me, then I will just bite my tongue off."

He chuckles.

"I actually highly doubt that Louise. Don't act so rude. You have been treated a lot better than some of the people under me."

Sheffield slightly cringes at the comment.

{You deserved the punishment that you got. You failed your master.}

She purses her lips.

"But no, Louise, I don't care about any information that you could have. I want your power."

"My power?"

He smiles at the tied up Valliere girl.

"Yes, and this mirror is what I needed for that purpose. Those mercenaries that you hired did the job well, Sheffield."

She smiles from his praise.

"What do you need my power for, and how?"

"Ahhhhh. So many questions. I guess I can amuse you for this brief moment. See, I requested your friends here. So, I am going to use your void spell with these orbs that that elf, Bidashal, created for me. He didn't intend for me to use them this way, but that doesn't matter to me. I am going to see what kind of destruction these are going to cause. Too bad that the elf didn't want to be here to witness this for his research. Your friends will just so happen to be my test subjects."

"You can't!" She shouts at him.

He kneels down next to her and grabs her chin.

"I can't? And, what are you going to do about it? Bite your tongue perhaps? Ha!"

He stands back up and looks out.

"Your old familiar Saito has been a bit of a pest and thinks that he is going to get my head. Let's see what he can do. I have a few tricks up my sleeve even if he does manage to get all the way to me, but I am not going to make it easy for him. He is here, now it is a matter of time for the other chess piece to arrive."

He looks back at Sheffield.

"Now let's get this over with."

"Yes master." She says as she walks over to Louise.

She holds the mirror in front of Louise's face. The mirror glows and her void spells transfer to it.

She then walks over to Joseph and holds the mirror in front of his face. The mirror glows and the spells transfer to him.

"Very nice. Now it is time to greet our first set of guests."

Sheffield gags Louise back up and exits onto the deck with her master.

He casts a spell to amplify his voice and then he shouts out to Saito's group.

"Hello Saito! It is good to see that you didn't back down."

Eleonore casts a spell on Saito to amplify his voice as well.

"As if I would do such a thing. So, did you bring this army just for me?"

"Congratulations, Saito. You managed to make gathering an army quite difficult. This should have been much larger. A problem that I will handle when this is all over. I mostly brought this army for you."

"Mostly?" Saito repeats questioningly.

"I was hoping that the other chess piece would be here already."

'The other chess piece? What the hell is he talking about?'

Just as Saito was having that thought, a rumble is heard in the distance. Everyone in Saito's party turns their head toward the sound and shock strikes everyone's features. An army approaches with 35,000 troops and 11 air ships as well.

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On one of the Tristan battle ships.

"Your highness, this does not bode well. Their army is much larger than ours." Agnes says in worry.

Henrietta, garbed with her battle armor, stands there with her hands on a railing as she looks out.

She takes a moment to reflect on an argument that she had with Cardinal Mazarin.

****** Flashback ******

"Why are you going so far for that boy? He left your side and denounced his title and rank. You have no reason to go after that commoner. You are jeopardizing your country and yourself by doing this."

She whips her head in his direction. Fire burns in her eyes as she glares at the cardinal.

"That COMMONER is going to be the future king of Tristan! And didn't I already tell you not to refer to Saito like that ever again!"

"King?" He responds back with worry and surprise in his voice.

****** End of flashback ******

"I hope that I made the right decision in coming here Agnes. Our army is severely outnumbered by their troops by nearly a third. I hope that Saito being here will make up that difference. Everyone here knew that the odds were not going to be good, but they all still came to show their support."

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Back with Saito's group.

"It's a Tristan army. Henrietta is here on her flagship. I also see the dragon knights. Julio is among the dragon knights as well. One of the banners amongst the troops has a symbol on a fist on it." Tabitha tells everyone.

"Jodoc and The Brotherhood of the Iron Fists are here. But why is Julio here? He is Romalian."

"I don't know. There doesn't seem to be any Romalian soldiers here." Tabitha explains.

"I will have to find out, but this whole thing causes a problem. With them here, I can't go all out. I could have easily protected you guys from some of my attacks, but the army being here is actually going to be a hindrance. Did Joseph plan this? That bastard."

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On the battlefield.

Jodoc, in full battle gear, raises his sword into the air. And in his grumbly voice, he shouts out to everyone under his command.

"Alright brothers. We have faced odds like this before. Let's show our brother, Saito, how we fight! Glory will be ours once again on this battlefield!"

A large roar is heard from the men and women under his command.

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Just as the Tristan army finishes making formation, two more armies approach to the left and right of the Tristan army.

"Shit! This isn't good. One army has 9,000 men and the other has 3,000. That's another 12,000 troops that are going to be going against us."

Saito finishes his sentence and a rider from each army approach him. As they get closer, Saito recognizes the banners of each of the riders.

"Lord Conradin?"

He smiles at Saito.

"Why, yes, it is me. I have come to aid your cause with my 3,000 men. I wanted to stay Neutral, but your cause has inspired me to fight by your side."

"As well as mine. I will also fight by your side with my 9,000 men. I do not like betrayal, especially among my own ranks. Joseph will pay for his treachery. Thank you for sparing my life."

"Thank you, both of you. I was really worried that you were fighting for Joseph."

"We will fight alongside the Tristan army against Josephs evil tyranny and put the rightful Queen and her Daughter back in power." Lord Conradin says to them.

"I had heard that you were from Tristan and that you were a Chevalier."

"I was, but I had denounced my title to keep Tristan out of this war of mine."

"And they still came out here to help you?"

Saito nods his head.

"Apparently so."

After being lowered to the ground, Agnes rides over to Saito.

As she approaches, he smiles at her.

"It is good to see you, Captain Agnes."

"It is good to see you, as well. I wish it were under better circumstances."

"I agree. Why did you come? I denounced my title so that the queen would stay safe in Tristan."

"She couldn't hold back from helping you when a messenger came and showed a letter that Joseph had sent out to you. The messenger said that he was sent by an ally here."

"I sent no such messenger."

"Nor did I."

Saito shakes his head.

"No, that letter was purposely sent by Joseph himself. He mentioned another chess piece and I assume that meant you at this point."

"You mean that this was all set up?" Agnes shouts in shock.

"Regretfully so. I don't know what he has planned but it can't be good."

"I will have to tell the Queen. I am Agnes De Chevalier, De Milan, captain of the Queen's musketeers. Who might you two be?"

"I am lord Conradin. I am here to aid Saito's cause."

"And I am lord Durand. I am also here to aid Saito. He saved my life and helped me take out Joseph's loyalists that tried to kill me."

"Very well. It is good to have you on the same side. I will let the Queen know."

She takes off on her horse to get the message back to Henrietta.

The other lords take off as well.

Then Julio lands next to him on his dragon.

"Julio, what brings you here?"

"Saito, Joseph has Louise."

"Damnit! When did this happen?"

"It's a long story, but she was captured in Romalia. I came here with the Queen so that I could get your help in getting her back. There would have been troops sent, but they are focusing on the army that was set up along the border to Romalia. The army was going to leave the border but the Pope has been giving his assistance by distracting them."

"Damnit! Thank you for telling me, Julio. Wait for the opportunity."

"Thank you, Saito. It will be good to fight by your side."

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After a little more time passes and the armies stand face to face across the battlefield.

"Alright. Let's get this game started." Joseph says.

With a motion of his hand, his army marches forward and 3 of his ships move forward as well.

Henrietta takes the cue and motions for hers and the allied forces to move forward as well.

Catapult fire and fireballs rain through the air.

Saito, Eleonore and Tabitha use water magic as defense against some of the fireballs.

"It's time to take advantage of being in the front while I can." He says to his group.

He activates his wind powers and creates a tornado. Then he sends it towards the enemy army.

"Eleonore, fill its wake with water! Tabitha, Freeze it."

They do as he suggested.

The army struggles against the tornado and many of them get sucked inside.

Conradin's and Durand's armies break off and make a move to start flanking the sides of Joseph's army.

Saito dismisses the tornado after it tore into the front lines of the army.

He uses his wind abilities again and slams a gigantic blast of air against the sheet of ice. It smashes apart and chunks and shards of it fly through the air at the enemy.

Dragon knights and griffin squads fly through the air and commence their own aerial combat.

Cavalry from Joseph's army start charging in.

Tabitha uses her signature spell to attack some of the cavalry, and Eleonore uses her water cannon spell to knock some of them off of their horses. Sylphid and Julio's dragon use breath weapons. Weylyn attacks the fallen men.

Shots are heard as Siesta uses her hand muskets and then starts reloading.

Tiffania steps out while chanting a spell and some of the horses seem to stop in their tracks.

"Run away!" She whispers out to the horses and they flee despite resistance from the men riding them.

Arrows fly through the air all around Saito's group at the other cavalry units.

A sphere of water forms around everyone in Saito's group as a protective barrier.

"Serena! Great water spirit. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

Fourteen water elementals rise up from the ground in varying sizes.

While this happens The Brotherhood floods all around and past his group. Cheering as they charge past Saito.

The armies collide with one another as swords clash and spells fire back and forth.

Upon his orders, the water elementals that Saito created fight alongside the Tristan army.

"What else are we waiting for Saito?" Eleonore asks.

"Give me a little more time. I am summoning even more help for us."

"Serena, send me a great guardian so that I may defeat the enemies before us."

The ground cracks and water starts bursting out from the ground. The water slowly gathers and begins taking shape. Everyone watches in awe as the shape starts becoming more and more clear. It takes the form of a giant dragon made completely of water.

He climbs onto it.

Jodoc comes up beside him on his steed.

"I cannot even begin to tell you how much you impress me, my brother. But you should leave this distraction to the Tristan and allied armies. You have bigger fish to fry."

"Perhaps you are right Jodoc, but I am going to send a little more help your way, and then I will leave the rest to you and the Queen. Are you sure that you can handle it brother?" Saito says jokingly to his fellow brother.

He starts laughing at Saito.

"Let me show you how much of a fight we have in us. This old man still has plenty of fight left in him." He responds with pride ad eagerly rides off and back into the battle.

"Let's take to the air everyone."

Siesta climbs onto Sylphid with Tabitha.

Eleonore, Tiffania, and Weylyn climb onto Saito's dragon.

As they lift off, Saito starts summoning air elementals to fight in the aerial combat.

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As the battle on the ground continues, the airships fly towards each other.

They exchange cannon fire and other magical fire.

Mages cast fireballs at the enemy vessels while others use water magic to counter the fireball spells. Protective magic manages to stop some of the damage but as battle continues on some of the magic starts wearing down. Holes get blasted through the halls of the ship.

"Send one of them out Sheffield."

"But what about our own men?"

He sends a glare at her.

"Are you really questioning your master?"

She sheepishly looks at the ground.

"No master. I will obey.

Sheffield creates a gargoyle and sends it flying toward the airships while it holds one of the red orbs.

With the air ships focusing on one another the gargoyle doesn't really get noticed as it flies toward them. Joseph points his wand at the gargoyle and starts chanting a spell that is oddly familiar to Louise's advanced explosion spell.

As Louise hears him chant the spell and gets a fearful look on her face.

Saito notices the gargoyle approaching the ships but then gets distracted as 3 enemy dragon knights attack him.

He has the dragon use it's ice breath weapon against one of them.

"Wind blade!" Eleonore shouts out as she launches blades of wind at another one.

A tail flick knocks the third one away after Tiffa uses her memory spell on him.

Joseph finishes the spell and a giant explosion occurs with the red orb being the center of it. As it explodes, the blast destroys both the Tristan, and the enemy air ships in it radius.

Shrapnel and debris from the ships fall to the ground on top of some of the troops. Allied and enemy troops die from some of that.

The blast was so strong that it even knocks a lot of the dragons and griffons around.

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From his ship, Joseph looks out with an un-phased expression on his face.

"Even destroying all of those men and women still leaves me unaffected. What will it take to make me feel?"

He turns to Sheffield once again.

"Send another one This time, down to the battle."

She hesitates for a moment as she starts questioning his orders in her head.

A headache starts settling in.

{You will obey your master.}

She creates another gargoyle and sends it out with the second of the three orbs.

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Henrietta grabs onto the railing of her ship and looks out in horror.

"That's insane! He just destroyed his own ships with that explosion!" Henrietta screams out.

After looking through a spyglass, Agnes quickly turns to the queen.

"Your highness. There is another one, and it is heading for troops down on the ground!"

"If that reaches them, then it will turn into a blood bath. Call for a retreat!"

She helplessly watches as the gargoyle makes its way to the army fighting below.

'There is no way that they can withdraw in time. This is terrible it's going to be a massacre.'

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The gargoyle approaches the army on the ground. It is surrounded by other gargoyles that block other riders from getting to it.

Saito sees this and starts charging at it.

Joseph smiles as he sees Saito doing this while he chants the spell again.

"Are we going to make it in time, Saito?" Tiffania asks in a panicked tone.

"I am."

"Huh?"

He orders the dragon to land.

"What are you doing, Saito?" Eleonore asks with about the same amount of panic as Tiffa.

He jumps off of the dragon and flies at the gargoyle.

"Saitoooooooooo!" Eleonore and Tiffania scream out at him.

Siesta and Tabitha hear this and watch him fly at it.

Julio's eyes go wide as well.

The armies below stop some of the fighting as they realize what could happen if that orb explodes around them.

Henrietta starts slamming her fists furiously on the railing.

"No! No! No! Saito, no!" She shouts while crying.

Agnes attempts to stop her.

'Please, be safe this time, Saito.' Agnes thinks with a heavy worry in her heart.

Saito annihilates the gargoyles around it with giant sized wind blades. Then he uses a strong gust of wind to blow the one holding the orb away, but it drops it in the process.

He grabs the orb and flies up with it. He launches it up with a concentrated blast of wind.

Joseph finishes the spell and another explosion occurs with Saito getting caught in the blast.

"Noooooooooooooooo!" Henrietta frighteningly screams out.

Siesta turns her face away and cover it while Tabitha desperately flies in his direction.

The blast sends him barreling to the ground.

Men from both sides run out of the way as he impacts in the center of the battlefield.

Dust and debris cloud the area momentarily, obscuring the view.

The battlefield becomes dead silent.

As it settles, everyone sees Saito's body on top of the 20ft. water elemental and it starts to dissipate.

Tabitha lands next to him and quickly jumps off of Sylphid with Siesta.

They go up to him. Siesta holds back a few feet as Tabitha approaches him and kneels next to him.

He groans as he turns over onto his back. As he slowly opens his eyes, he sees Tabitha looking him over with tears forming in her eyes.

He was pretty badly singed from the blast.

"At the last second, I saw the elemental go under me to break my fall." He says softly to her.

Her and siesta both start hugging him.

"Ouch. Ow. Ow. Easy on me." He says to them from the pain of his burns.

Tiffania rushes over and starts healing him.

Two of the enemy generals slowly approach.

Eleonore watches then warily and prepares a spell.

They take off their helmets and lay down their weapons.

Saito leans up to see them.

"We will stand down in this fight. You saved even us in this madness. We have lost the will to fight."

Just as they were saying this, an echo of clapping heard from Joseph on his ship.

"That was very entertaining Saito. That was well done. I didn't think that you were going to survive that. How very fortunate for you."

Saito stands up and angrily looks at Joseph's ship.

"Your head is mine, Joseph!"

"I would love to come see you try to get it."

Wind starts collecting around Saito.

"Not so fast Saito. You don't want to hurt my guest, now would you?"

Sheffield holds Louise up for him to see.

'Damnit.'

Shock and anger make their way into Eleonore's emotions and facial expressions.

"Louise!" She shouts out.

"I have a proposal for you."

"And what is that?"

"I will let her live as long as if you come to me alone and with no interference from anyone else."

"And how can I trust your word?"

"I might be mad, but that doesn't mean I won't stick to my word."

"And if no one interferes, then you will fight me?"

"If you can live through two more challenges. The first will be down there on the ground with you, and then the other will be aboard my ship with me."

"And what's to say that I won't just rip your ship apart after I get back Louise?"

"You won't. You want my head too much and you are honorable man."

Saito grumbles under his breath.

Louise tries to shake her head to tell him not to do it.

"You are playing right into his hands if you do this, Saito." Eleonore tells him.

"I know, but that's your sister up there."

He flies over the army and lands in front of his ship.

"What do I have to face now, Joseph?"

He smiles at Saito.

"My muse! Now! Show him our masterpiece!"

She flies off of the ship on a manta ray over to a giant tarp. She cuts a rope on the tarp and it reveals a 50ft. metal golem. It looks like a black knight with one eye.

Joseph starts laughing maniacally.

"This is your first trial Saito! This is Jormungandr!"

Sheffield uses her runes to activate it and its eye and some of its crevices start glowing. It starts walking toward Saito. The ground quaking with every step it makes.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 46 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	47. Chapter 47: The Mad King

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-Seven

The Mad King

As the metal giant slowly walks toward him, only one thought runs through his head.

"Fuck!"

With a terrified look on her face, Tiffania grabs Tabitha by the shoulders and pulls her face to face.

"Please, Tabitha, you have to get me to him!"

"But we cannot interfere."

"Please! Take me to him. I have to try something. If we get to him before they start fighting, then maybe it won't even be noticed, but you have to get me to him!" Tiffania yells at her while shaking her out of stress.

Tabitha didn't have to be a genius an order to sense the urgency in Tiffania.

"Let's go."

They both climb onto Sylphid and dart for him.

While they fly, Tiffania gets a determined look on her face.

'I hope this works. Please let this work.' She says to herself.

Tabitha makes a rough landing next to him and they jump off of Sylphid.

"What the hell are you two doing here. This could jeopardize Louise."

"I had to see you Saito before the battle started."

He could see the concerned look on her face.

She walks over to him while hiding her left hand and she starts whispering.

"Spirits that guide all life, hear my pleas and share my life and body with his and bond us together."

She wraps her right arm around his neck and places the other on his chest. She hides the fact that her hand is glowing by giving him a close hug.

For a brief moment, his body feels tingly. She releases him and smiles at him.

"What did you do?"

"I am doing what I can for you." She says while trying to hide her fatigue from casting the spell.

Tabitha pulls him close and gives him an abrupt kiss.

"Don't die."

They get back onto Sylphid and fly back to the rest of the group.

He turns his head back around and the giant stands before him.

He slowly pulls out Derflinger.

"So, this is the classic David versus Goliath."

"What are you talking about, partner?"

"It's a tale from where I come from about a situation similar to this."

"So stuff like this has happened in your world?"

"Well . . . in myth."

"Well, I have never seen anything like this."

"That's just great. What about you two, Serena and Zephira?"

'No.'

'This is the first.'

"I'm screwed."

"Maybe." Bluntly says Derflinger.

"Thanks, Derf."

'Saito."

'Yes, Serena.'

'That girl, Tiffania, is linked with you.'

'What? Like the familiar bond?'

'No. This is different. I am not exactly sure how, but I feel her presence within you.'

Jormungandr starts walking toward him again.

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"Tiffania are you okay? What did you do?" Eleonore asks.

"I did the only thing that I could think of to still be able to help him." Tiffa replies.

"What?" Siesta impatiently asks.

"If it worked, then his life is being shared with mine. If he gets hurt, then him and I will share it."

"Is that even possible?" Eleonore and Tabitha both ask.

"I hope so. I have become attuned with nature so much while I lived by myself. I think that I have picked up on things that others have not."

"Are you sure that you will be able to handle what Saito may go through? He is a glutton for punishment you know." Julio says to her.

She turns to him with determined but caring eyes.

"I don't care."

He turns his head back out to Saito.

'Be careful Saito.'

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Jormungandr makes a move to step on Saito, but he tumbles out of the way and to the side. To his left, he sees all of the soldiers. To his right is just the air ships that are above.

He darts to the right.

The metal giant slowly turns in the direction that Saito went.

'Good. The dumb ox is following me away from all of the people.'

Using the speed up ability that he learned from Karin, he steers clear of Jormungandr's feet.

He stops to turn around and face the giant that is slowly stomping its way toward him.

He points Derflinger at it.

"In ex bet flame, fireball!"

A fireball shoots out from Derflinger.

Everyone watches as it hurls toward the giant.

Jormungandr points its arms out with the palms of its hands facing out.

Tabitha's eyes go wide as the fireball hits a force field and reflects back at Saito.

'Saito! Watch out!'

"Aw, c'mon!" Gets uttered out by him in annoyance.

His eyes glow blue and he throws his hands up in the air. A wave of water busts up from the ground between him and the fireball. Steam and smoke fill the air in that moment.

Jormungandr swing his hand at Saito, but he is unable to see it because of the smoke and steam. The hand pops out from through the cover and Saito takes the split second he has to brace himself. The giant's hand hits him with a loud smack. He screams out upon the impact and he gets sent flying through the air. His left side goes slightly numb. His vision also gets blurred from the disorientating heavy blow that he took. He crashes against the ground and ends up rolling for quite a number of feet. Somewhere along the way he lost Derflinger.

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Tiffania yelps and everyone in the group looks to her in shock. Siesta manages to catch her before she falls to the ground. Cuts, scratches, start forming all over her body. Bruises form all over the left side of her body and she clutches her ribs. She starts crying from the pain and even coughs up a little blood.

Tabitha winces as well from the ordeal. It's not just from the sight of seeing Tiffania and her loved one in pain, but she can tell he is in excruciating pain through their link.

"If she is in this much pain, then Saito must be just as bad off." Eleonore states.

Tabitha looks at her and responds.

"He is also in terrible pain."

"Isn't there something we can do for the both of them?" Siesta asks in a panic while holding Tiffania.

"Maybe if we help heal her it will affect him as well." Tabitha says to Eleonore.

Eleonore nods in agreement and they both get in positions around Tiffania. They cast healing spells on her.

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Saito's body fights against him as he tries to move. He shakes his head as he tries to make the blurriness and the ringing in his ear go away. His breathing is shallow. Every time he tries to breath deep, he feels a sharp pain.

"Damn. I think . . . .that . . . I broke . . . some ribs."

'Then fix them with your powers.' Serena tells him.

Jormungandr starts coming toward him again.

'Easier . . . . said . . . . than done.'

He shakily raises a hand and creates a dozen female knight golems.

"Distract and . . . evade."

The knights start running toward the giant. They all branch off as soon as they get close to Jormungandr. It instantly takes out one of them with a stomp of its foot.

He starts focusing his water abilities and begins healing his injuries. He grits his teeth and makes fists with his hands as he feels his ribs pull back into place and heal. Tiffania gets a dark blue hue around her as this happens. She smiles as she feels his presence enveloping her like a warm blanket. As soon as that finishes, him and Tiffania both feel a great amount of relief. The rest of the wounds heal twice as fast between his healing and the healing that the others are performing on Tiffa.

"Saitooooo!" Derf calls out.

Saito holds out his hand and Derflinger flies back to it while he uses a levitation spell.

'Now that I can think a little clearer, why is it that I feel like that should have hurt more than it did?'

'That is because it should have. Tiffania linked herself with you. When you took damage, she took damage. I also felt healing energy coming from her, to you. Either she, or someone else was healing her and it helped you in the process.' Serena explains to him.

'Oh, no! Then she must have felt the pain that I just went through as well.'

'Tabitha!' He communicates to her.

'She is okay now, Saito.'

'So, it is true. Why did she do it? I don't like the fact that she is sharing my pain.'

'She knew what she was doing when she did it. She wanted to help you. Think about how much more pain you would have been in if she didn't do that.'

'Alright. Point taken. Tell her, thank you, for me.'

'I think that you should probably personally do that after this is all over. That hurt her pretty bad. Did our healing help you by chance?'

'Yes, it did.'

Jormungandr smashes through the last of the knights and returns its attention back to Saito.

He starts running at it. It takes aim at him and reaches down to snatch him.

'Just as I thought. Speed up.'

His speed increases and he manages run past the hand that was reaching for him. As he reaches Jormungandr's ankle, he takes a hard swing at it with Derf. With a large clang, Derf bounces off of the armor. The giant groans and stumbles down. Saito quickly runs off again to avoid it from landing on him. It stumbles down to one knee, but then it begins to rise back up as it recovers from the blow.

"That wasn't a rather pleasant feeling, partner. But I am certain about something now."

"And what is that, Derf?"

"It is infused with the spell counter."

It starts turning around to face Saito but he arcs around to try to stay behind its back for now.

"Are you saying that damn thing has that spell that Bidashal used against me in our fight at the house?"

"You got it, bro."

"That's just wonderful. This just gets better and better." He to Derflinger very sarcastically.

"Would you rather I lie?"

"I am not going to answer that. I suppose I can't just absorb it this time, like I did before."

"I suggest you use dispel on me, and then try to attack it that way."

'I also have a suggestion.'

'Yes, Zephira.'

'Elven magic is powerful, and in some cases, it is on par with our magic. But your magic could overpower it if you concentrate your efforts. Wear down the shield and then strike hard with Derflinger.'

'Thank you, Zephira. I think I will try that.'

"Body of wind." He calls out and his body takes on the form of wind and he starts flying.

Jormungandr swings its giant hand at Saito, but dodges around it using an aerial maneuver that he learned from Karin.

He flies around to the back of Jormungandr again and swings at the back of its knee with  
Derflinger. It begins to tumble backwards from the buckling of the joint. He flies around to the front of it while sheathing Derf at the same time. When he gets to the front, he extends both arms out at it.

"Wind blast!"

A huge blast of wind shoots out from his hands at Jormungandr. The blast hits the shield and he keeps it going. It eventually falls over as it succumbs to the blast and unsure footing. It falls flat on its back.

Continuing the assault, he flies overhead.

Dark blue swirls in with the white in his eyes as he shifts his assault from a wind blast, to a water blast.

The water flows on top of the shield created by the counter spell infused with the metal giant.

He keeps the water contained to the shield as he keeps adding to it. The increasing mass keeps building more and more pressure against the shield.

He uses winds to add even more pressure against the water. His body strains against the demands of his continued onslaught against Jormungandr.

It begins to groan.

The pressure causes it to impact into the ground.

"Break!" Saito yells out of frustration.

Upon those words, huge cracks begin forming and spider-webbing out all over the shield.

He eases back on the force to the point of barely keeping the water in place as he focuses his attention on his next task. He pulls out Derflinger and starts chanting.

"Ul thurisaz ansul ken . . . "

Louise's eyes go wide in surprise as she hears her spell being chanted by him.

Joseph begins smiling in amusement.

"Oh, how interesting, Saito. Have you been hiding this power from me this whole time? Show me what you are going to do."

"Gyfu nyd nausiz ehlaz yr el eoh is!"

Upon the finishing of the spell, Derfling glows brightly and Saito rockets down at Jormungandr. With a blast of while light, he smashes through the shield. The water rains down on the metal giant and he slams into its chest with Derflinger. Its eyes go dim from the sudden loss of power.

"Let's open this tin can Derf!"

He slams Derflinger in and out of its chest as he starts carving a whole.

Jormungandr regains itself and life returns to its eyes.

It groans again and it swings its hand to smack at Saito.

'Saito, move!' Serena, Zephira, and Tabitha all yell at him.

Without hesitation, he quickly moves and the metal hand slams hard on its own chest. The hit knocks the portion of metal he was carving at into itself.

Saito swats at the hand with Derf and the hand is quickly moved away. He then shifts his form from wind to water.

"Going in!" He yells out as he jumps inside.

The giant golem pauses for a moment as it tries to figure out what to do.

Inside, he sees all of the metal workings and joints that hold the monstrosity together and make it move. He begins flooding the inside of it quickly.

It roars and it begins clawing and beating at its own chest.

After a couple moments of this, he has had enough of it doing that and making awful noises on the inside from this. He uses Derfling to start cutting at all of the inner workings of Jormungandr.

Its limbs go limp, one after another, and it lies helpless there with him inside of it.

Now, he keeps the water from escaping through the hole in the chest. As the pressure builds, rivets pop out and water begins spraying out at some of the seams.

Jormungandr groans and everyone hears the metal buckling under the pressure.

He lets out a final burst of air pressure and the thing explodes.

Sheffield and Louise get mortified looks on their faces as the head flies past the ship.

Joseph just simply watches it fly by.

After the metal has all fallen and the water stops raining down, Saito is seen in the center of it all, heavily panting in his human form. The battles are starting to wear on him from extended use of his powers.

He looks up at Joseph's ship and calls out to him after amplifying his voice.

"All right Joseph! Release Louise!" He says between heavy breaths.

"Tsk. Tsk. And here, I was about to congratulate you and your victory. That was quite impressive, along with the fact that you cast that void spell."

"Save your breath. I beat Jormungandr. Now release Louise."

"You come up here first. Then, I will release her."

Saito grits his teeth in anger.

"Fine."

He casts a flight spell on himself and slowly ascends to the air ship.

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Siesta looks at Tabitha.

"Why didn't he just use his avatar abilities to fly up there?"

"He's getting tired, Siesta. He's used his avatar powers a lot and it is catching up to him."

Tiffania and Siesta both get worried looks on their faces.

Eleonore scowls and nearly breaks her wand out of anger.

"That pisses me off. He is purposely wearing him down so that he is not at full capacity for his fight with him."

"It makes sense, even if it is underhanded." Tabitha replies.

"At least the thing I did to him still seems to be affecting him." Tiffa adds.

Julio gets onto his dragon as he watches Saito fly up to the ship.

"If Saito wasn't so honorable and if Joseph wasn't holding Louise hostage, he could've ended this by now."

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Saito lands on the main deck of the ship.

Sheffield is standing across from him with Louise by her side. Louise is gagged and her hands are tied behind her back. Her legs are free.

Joseph is observing from a smaller, upper level deck.

"All right. I am here, so let her go."

"You are in quite the rush, Saito. Are you that eager to die?" He asks Saito.

Saito shakes his head.

"No. I am just that eager to defeat you."

"And what makes you think that you are going to defeat me?"

"I don't think. I know that I am going to defeat you, and this battle is going to end with your face being pummeled by my fist." He replies to Joseph in a very serious tone.

"Ha! We shall see."

Joseph looks over to Sheffield.

"Let her go."

Then he looks back over to Saito.

"And, by the way, no one is allowed on the ship to pick her up."

Louise gets a startled look on her face.

'Tabitha, is someone available to snatch Louise as I drop her from the ship?'

'Drop her?'

'Yep. No one else is allowed on the ship.'

'Julio looks like he is eagerly waiting for her.'

'Then tell him he needs to collect his air mail.'

"Julio, you're going to need to catch her."

He instantly flies off.

Sheffield releases her ho him and he takes off her gag.

"You should have just destroyed the ship with me on it."

He sighs as he listens to her and then re-gags her.

"No." He quickly says as he shoves her off of the ship.

Muffled screams are heard from her as she drops.

Sheffield's jaw drops in shock.

He turns around to see this.

"What? Someone is going to catch her." He says as he peers over the ship.

Just as he says that, Julio catches her.

'I wonder if he enjoyed that?' Julio thinks to himself as he turns to fly back to the rest of the group.

Saito turns his head back to Sheffield and she has a wicked smile on her face.

"She is your next opponent, Saito. I do hope that this is just as entertaining as the last battle."

He puts his hand on the hilt of Derflinger.

"Sheffield. We don't have to do this. I don't want to fight you. I know that you are only like this because of the familiar bond. If I defeat him, then you will be free."

{He lies. He is trying to trick you. You must defeat him. You cannot let your master down again. You need to restore his faith in you. Do not be fooled by his tricks.}

"That is not for you to decide. I will not let my master down. So, I will kill you for him."

He shakes his head and begrudgingly draws out Derf.

She pulls out the shield with the gem on it and it begins floating around her.

"I was worried you were going to say that. So, what is it going to be this time? More of your gargoyles?"

She smiles sinisterly.

"Perhaps, but I brought something special just for you and this occasion."

'Crap. Now what?'

She pulls out a dagger from her cloak. It is a silver dagger with black, red, and white jewels on the handle.

"I searched hard for this artifact, but I managed to get my hands on it."

"What? Are you going to fight me in hand to hand combat?"

"Far from it, Saito. No. This is the assassin's dagger."

The runes on her forehead glow as she preps to throw the dagger.

She hurls it at him. He raises Derf and deflects it away from him.

"Was that really the best you've got?"

She points in the direction that the dagger went.

He looks out and it turns around in an arc and flies toward him again.

He deflects it again and the same thing occurs again.

She laughs at him.

"This dagger, once it has its target, will stop at nothing until it pierces the heart of its victim."

She pulls out a couple petals and blow them into the air. They turn into Fenrir wolves and they charge at Saito.

He impales one of them, but the other latches onto his arm.

"Gah!"

He drops Derflinger and the dagger is quickly approaching him again.

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Tiffania grabs her wrist and gasps as the pain hits her. Bite marks appear on her wrist and some blood starts dripping.

Eleonore starts healing the wound.

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He growls as he knows that Tiffania must have felt that too.

He shifts to the side just before the dagger was going to hit him. It slams through the hound and the hound dissipates.

He jumps around from spot to spot deflecting and dodging it. He cast some spells at it, but none of them seem to fully stop it.

He turns his side into water as he has a close call with it. It passes through his side with ease.

'You need to be more careful, Saito. If that passes where your heart is at, then you would still die from that dagger.' Serena scolds him.

She pulls out a few more petals. A strong gust of wind blows them away before she gets the chance to blow them away herself.

"What the hell?" She says and then she turns to him.

He waves his finger momentarily at her.

"Not this time."

"Hmph. Oh well. I don't need them anyways. It will kill you eventually. There is nothing here for you to hide behind."

After a couple of seconds more, he smirks at her.

"Are you sure?"

She gets a puzzled look on her face.

As it continues to chase him, he begins running faster and faster. It's speed increases in time with his. He runs to the end of the deck and then darts toward Sheffield. Her facial expression changes from smug to worry. Her shield flies in front of her.

He drops to the floor and slides behind her. Then he quickly stands up directly behind her the dagger slams into the center gem of the shield.

The dagger and the shield struggle against each other and he uses this time to wrap his arms around her and position his heart behind her shoulder.

The gem and the shield shatter to pieces and the dagger slams into Sheffield's shoulder.

She screams out in pain.

He pulls away from her and gently rests her on the deck.

Joseph quirks an eyebrow as he watches them interact.

Saito looks into his shirt and realizes that the very tip of the dagger had barely pierced his skin.

"That was too close." He says aloud.

He clutches the hilt of the dagger.

"I'm sorry Sheffield, but this is going to hurt."

He yanks it out and she screams in pain. He quickly casts a healing spell and starts healing her shoulder.

"Why? Why are you helping me?"

"I already told you."

"That's preposterous."

He shakes his head.

"Is it really? Haven't you ever felt a voice in the back of your head telling you stuff that didn't seem like your own?

{Do not believe him.}

Just as she starts to wonder, she begins to feel a headache.

"Haven't you ever doubted or went against your master and somehow got a headache?"

She says nothing in response.

"I want to save you, Sheffield. You don't deserve this."

In that instant, her heart skips a beat and shock comes over her.

Tears start rolling down her cheeks from those words.

Then her expression turns to anger.

"And what the hell makes you think that I need your help or that I even want to be saved for some unknown reason?"

"Because you wouldn't be crying if you didn't."

She grabs her face in confusion.

"Interesting." Joseph softly mutters as he turns around and enters a room behind him

Saito grabs the dagger and stands up. He looks down at her.

"Stay out of this Sheffield."

He flies up to the next level.

He shakes off some fatigue and enters into the same room that Joseph entered into.

{You must protect your master at all cost.}

She sighs out of frustration and gets up.

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"That was pretty quick thinking on your part. You keep impressing me, Saito. No one else has ever gotten this far with me. Too bad you are not on my side. The possibilities would have been endless with you by my side."

"Why did you do all of this?"

"Why? Because I wanted to see what it would take to make me feel again."

"So, you committed all of these atrocities just for that?"

"Yes."

"You need to be stopped."

"That is quite a statement, but do you honestly believe that you still have it in you?"

"You bet."

"We shall see."

Saito gets into a battle stance.

"I have been waiting for this day, Saito. Maybe you are the one."

He pulls out a dagger from his belt.

Saito gives it a good look over.

"There is nothing special about this dagger. Just me." He says and then he mutters an odd spell softly.

Saito narrows his eyes, and watches Joseph charge at him.

He changes to a defensive stance and is about to block Joseph's attack when it seems like he just disappears. Then he reappears at Saito's side and does a quick stab at his leg and then disappears again.

When he reappears again, Saito points Derflinger at his and starts to chant a spell. He disappears again and becomes visible again as he jabs Saito's side.

He grit's his teeth to fight the pain.

'I am sure Tiffa is feeling this too.'

"This is my Void magic. Acceleration. It's as if God is urging me to move faster."

"So, that is what you were doing."

Joseph smiles at him.

"Then I will play this game with you. Acceleration."

Saito's runes glow.

The world seems to slow down around him as he activates this ability.

"Oh! How interesting." Joseph moves again as soon as he says that.

He barely manages to block another blow from Joseph.

'I am able to follow his movements a little better, but it is still not easy. My body has gotten week from all of these fights and it is hard to move. Plus, this new speed is jarring. I still have to get used to it, but he isn't giving me that opportunity.' Saito thinks to himself.

Joseph laughs.

"Did you really think that you could beat me with my own ability? You have been able to mimic the spell and you are a better fighter than I, but you lack the experience that I have with this ability."

He attacks Saito again and again. They both disappear and reappear in spots around the room. Saito blocks some of them, but he ends up taking hits in many other places including his legs.

'Damn it, Saito. Think.' He scolds himself.

'Use the wind to help you predict his movements.'

'Thank you for that Zephira.'

He activates his wind abilities again and the trick works as he starts regaining ground against Joseph.

He blocks Josephs attacks, one after another as he senses all of his movements.

Finally, with a quick thrust in a direction that Joseph was heading, he lays a devastating blow into his stomach. Joseph drops his dagger and staggers to stay upright.

"I didn't think that would be able to beat me at my own game." Joseph admits.

Saito drops Derflinger and balls his hands up into fists. He begins pummeling Joseph with blow after blow.

"This is for Tabitha's father."

*Wham!*

He takes a hit to the chest.

Joseph's life starts flashing before his eyes.

"Yes." Joseph mutters under his breath.

"This is for poisoning her mother."

*Wham!*

He takes a blow to his shoulder.

He slams against the back wall of the room and his family flashes in his head.

"That's it. Hurt me more."

"This is for Louise."

*Wham!*

"This is for the people in Albion."

*Wham!*

"And this is for wanting to have your own niece poisoned."

*Wham!*

He takes a hard blow to the face.

As he backs away from Joseph, Joseph slides down the wall onto the floor.

He beaten and bloody, but he is smiling.

"Why the hell are you smiling?"

"Because . . . . you . . . . made . . . me . . . . feel . . . again. Thank . . . you." Joseph says through staggered and painful breaths.

Saito shakily picks Derflinger back up and glares at him.

"Don't think that I am going to take pity on you because you said that. You can't be trusted."

"Good . . Don't. . . . I deserve . . this."

The door to the room flies open and Sheffield covers him with herself while holding the last red orb in her hand.

"What the hell are you doing, Sheffield? Get out of my way."

"No, Saito. I can't. I think I believe what you told me."

"Then why stop me?" He pleads with her.

"As we speak and I admit to believing in you, I have a growing headache. I still can't let you do this. He is my master and being his familiar is all that I know how to be."

"But . ."

"No buts, Saito."

She holds up the orb.

"He already partially casted the spell into this orb to blow it up. I can use my power to activate it the rest of the way and blow us all up. He is dying. I can feel it. You let me live, so I am going to return the favor. Leave here and let me die here with him."

He looks like he is about to protest again, but she holds up the orb.

"How do I know you will keep your word?" He asks her.

"I give you my word from one familiar to another. Besides, no one would raise a finger to heal him at this point anyways." She takes the ring off of her finger and tosses it to him.

'We finally get it back.' Serena says.

"That is also to show you proof."

"I don't like this, but you leave me no other option."

"Thank you, Saito." She says sincerely to him.

He starts to turn to leave the room.

"Saito." Joseph softly calls out to him.

He turns back to Joseph.

"What?"

"I have . . . . a present . . . for you."

"There is nothing that you have that I could possibly want, Joseph." Saito says coldly to him.

"Don't . . . be so hasty . . . to . . turn me down. You WILL . . .want this. If . . . it makes it . . . to you."

"We shall see. Goodbye, Joseph."

"Goodbye, Saito."

He exits out of the room.

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After getting picked up by Tabitha and Sylphid, they make their way back toward the army.

He is behind her and holding her.

Saito watches the ship for anything leaving it, but doesn't see anything leave the ship, even until the point that it blows up from the red orb.

"Sheffield." He softly whispers as he finally collapses asleep into Tabitha's back.

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Moments before the ship blew up.

Sheffield goes to kiss her master, but he coldly turns his head away.

"Why? Why do you even deny my affection now? We have not kissed since the day you summoned me."

"Because. . . it's fake. . . .I know . . . about the runes' . . . effect on you."

This statement startles her.

"But . . "

"Quiet. . . Stand me up . . .and get me out . .. to the main . . . balcony."

She does this but is silent the whole time as everything that him and Saito said to her crashes her world.

They eventually reach the balcony.

"Saito . . must really . . .care . . . about you . . . to go through . . the trouble . . . that he did . . .. to try to save you."

"But you are my master."

"You . . . will accept . . . . what I . . . .am about to do."

She hesitantly agrees.

He casts the same spell on Sheffield that was used to free Saito.

"Only kiss . . . . the person . . that YOU . . . want to be your . . . master. Don't kiss . . .anyone else."

They both sign document that appeared before them.

She screams out in pain as the runes burn away from her. She slowly starts fading from consciousness.

Joseph wraps her invisibility cloak around her and lowers her off of the ship using a levitation spell. He loses her as his attention fails over some trees and she falls invisibly to the ground.

'Let's see how you deal with this, Saito, since you wanted to save her so badly.'

He finishes the incantation of the spell to explode the orb.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 47 of my story.

And the mad king is finally dead, but Sheffield is still alive.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	48. Chapter 48: Not Again

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-Eight

Not Again

Along the back to the capital of Tristan.

Aboard Henrietta's ship.

Saito wakes up from his forehead being kissed.

He realizes who was giving him that kiss as the figure backs away from him.

"Hello Agnes."

She blushed at being caught.

"I thought that you were asleep."

"I was. Your kiss woke up sleeping beauty." He says to her.

"Huh?"

"Sorry. That's a phrase from my world."

He tries to sit up but regrets making that move as his whole body tells him it aches and he cringes.

She puts a hand gently on his chest.

"It's okay, Saito. Just lay back. You went through a lot."

"Ugh."

"It's good to see you again. The Queen and I missed you a lot."

"Thanks. I missed you two as well. Where am I?"

"We are on board her ship and traveling back to her palace."

"How is everyone else?"

"Almost everyone is fairing a heck of a lot better than you. We've been taking turns watching over you. You've been out for quite a while."

"You said almost everyone."

Agnes nods.

"Tiffania is rather sore herself, but that is to be expected with what she did for you. I had never heard of that before."

"I have heard of such a thing, but I had never seen anyone do that from here either. I've seen her do things that I have not seen anyone else do."

She nods.

"So, how about a real kiss?" He asks with a smirk.

After glancing back at the door, she leans over and kisses him gently but passionately.

Even though it took a little effort, he wraps his arms around her while they kiss.

When she pulls back, he could see the glow in her eyes and a blush on her cheeks.

"I should go tell the others that you are awake." The captain of the guard says to him.

His stomach grumbles.

"And hungry." She adds.

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Agnes lets Henrietta and Tabitha in and Henrietta almost throws herself on top of him had Agnes not warned him.

She sits on the side of the bed.

"I missed you so much, Saito." Henrietta says just before giving him a kiss.

"I missed you too. That was a very long month out there." He says in return.

"I was so worried about all of you out there." She first says to Saito, but then she also looks to Tabitha.

"I am glad it is over."

Tabitha nods in agreement and also comes over and gives him a kiss.

He attempts to sit up and they help him up. He rests his back against the wall.

"So, what's going to happen now?" He asks.

"Just before she left, Tabitha told Lord Conradin and a couple of the other generals there that she will be retuning soon with her mother. Lord Conradin was nice enough to offer escort and that she should send a message to him when she is ready."

"He said that he had served under your father's rule. At least we know that You and your mother have at least a couple of Lords you can trust." He says to the blue-haired princess.

"Lord Durand as well." Tabitha adds.

"It's going to be a long process to get your country back in order again."

Tabitha wraps herself around his arm and leans her head against it.

"At least I have you and everyone else around for support my Ivaldi."

"I feel bad though. I have caused a lot of problems for you bey doing all of this."

"You forget, Saito, she wouldn't even be able to be in this position with her mother if it wasn't for you. You helped to rescue her mother and brought down the one person that was holding her and her country back."

Tabitha nods while still leaning into his arm.

"But we do have something else to discuss at some point." Henrietta says nervously.

Tabitha and Saito both give her a puzzled look.

"What is that, Henrietta?" He asks.

"We are back to the discussion about marriage. Tabitha, or should I say Charlotte, will now officially back into the position of being princess and sole heir to the throne. We are back to the problem of how we are going to handle this. I also . . . . escalated . . . the problem a little bit."

Tabitha unlatches herself and Saito leans forward a little.

"What did you do?" He asks very calmly.

Henrietta fidgets in her spot a little bit.

"Out of a fit of anger caused by the Cardinal, I let it slip out that you are going to be the future king of Tristan."

She covers her face with her hands.

"I am so sorry. He was putting you down again and I got angry and said that out of frustration."

Tabitha crosses her arms and gets an annoyed look on her face.

"We were supposed to discuss this before anything got said."

"I know, and I can't apologize enough for what I said. I can't take it back either."

He grabs each of their hands with his and gives them a firm grip.

"Everything's going to be all right, you two."

"How?" Both Henrietta and Tabitha ask.

"I've thought about this a lot and I remembered something that I had heard about during one of my classes in my world. I will marry you both in a dual monarchy under the pretense of uniting the countries."

"The people of our respective countries may not like that idea." Tabitha says to him.

"That is why it is a dual monarchy. Your countries will be under unification, but both of you will still rule your respective countries. Henrietta will still be the Queen of her country, and you will be princess/Queen of yours."

Tabitha and Henrietta both look at each other in surprise.

"Maybe that could work, and it's not like the people from either country hate you. You have gained a lot of respect from the people and generals from both countries." The Queen says.

"It will still probably take a lot of convincing, but maybe this could work." States Tabitha.

Saito raises a finger in the air.

"I am not going to just be a figurehead though. I have something that I want to do as well."

They give him an inquisitive look.

"What is it that you want to do?" Asks Henrietta.

"I want to start an elite army under my command. It will protect both countries. Whether it is Triatan, Galia, or Albion, my army will be there. It will be the Tristalian army."

They both kiss him and hug him out of joy.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow." He says from the soreness.

"Now we just have to get your status back as Chevalier."

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Tiffania enters his room.

He could see that she is walking a little stiffer than usual but she tries to hide it with a smile.

He pats his hand on his bed on the part next to him and she sits down next to him.

"How are you feeling, dear."

"I should be asking you that very same question, Tiffa."

She gets a slightly nervous look on her face.

"What do you mean?" She innocently asks.

"You know what I mean. That was a pretty crazy thing that you did out there. You could have died from that. I took some pretty hefty hits."

"Yes, you did, but think about how much more pain you would've been in had I not done that."

"That is beside the point."

"I think not. I wanted to help you. You were going to face that giant without any help. Not only did I burden the pain with you, but then we were able to help you as well when the others healed me."

"Just don't do that again."

She turns her head away from him, crosses her arms, and pouts.

"Hmph."

He sighs.

"You could at least show me some appreciation, Saito."

Her ears point sideways.

"You're right."

He gently puts his hand on the side of her face and gently guides it to face him. She blushes as she looks at him closing in to kiss her. Her ears point back up. She grabs his face too as they lip-lock. She climbs over him despite her aches and straddles him while they keep kissing. Her arms wrap around his neck and his end up grasping her sides. Her breasts press against his chest.

*Knock. Knock, Knock."

They stop and she quickly gets off of him and next to his side again. She pouts.

"Yes?" He asks.

"Siesta is here with some food for you." Aimee says from the other side of the door.

"Let her in."

Tiffa gives him another quick kiss and starts getting off of the bed.

"You take care, dear. I will check on you again later."

She gives Siesta a partial hug on the way out.

Siesta Enters the room with a big tray of food.

"I was told that you were hungry, so I made sure to bring you plenty to eat and get your strength back up." The maid say to him.

His stomach grumbles again as soon as the smell of the food hits him and he reaches for the tray. She pulls it away."

"What's that for?" He asks.

"I am going to serve it to you. It is my duty as your maid to nurse my darling back to health."

He crosses his arms and smirks at her.

"I think that you are just using that as an excuse to spend time with me."

She shrugs and smiles at him.

"Would it be okay if it was?"

"You bet."

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After having dinner at the palace, Henrietta, Agnes, Saito, Siesta, Tabitha, and Tiffania were all in a conference room together.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about, Saito?" Henrietta asks.

"I wanted to bring this up before anything more happens."

Agnes looks at him intently.

"While we in Galia, an incident happened with Eleonore."

Agnes raises an eyebrow.

"Eleonore?" Henrietta asks to make sure she heard it right.

He nods.

"I think that you should tell them what happened to get to what you are about to tell them." Siesta says to him.

"Siesta got hurt and I started to go nuts on the people that hurt her. I kind of wasn't listening to anybody at that point."

"So, what happened with Eleonore?" The Queen asks.

He scratches the back of his head.

"Well . . . "

"Out with it already." Agnes says impatiently.

"Tiffa told her to do whatever she had to do to stop me."

"And?" Henrietta asks.

"She kissed me to stop me."

Agnes nearly falls over and Henrietta's eyes go wide in shock.

"We asked her how she felt, but she avoided the topic because she didn't want anything effecting our mission." Tabitha adds.

"You have got to be kidding me." Agnes nearly shouts out.

"Is it really that far-fetched to see? She really got close to all of us out there. It's unfortunate that you two weren't out there to see it. Despite her usual outward appearance, she is a caring person." Tiffa says while trying to come to Eleonore's defense."

"He has spent a lot of time around her even outside of the time in Galia. You were there for some of that, Agnes. The two of you trained Saito together." Siesta adds.

Henrietta sighs.

"And he has done a lot for her family." States Henrietta.

"Her parents did offer her hand in marriage to him during one of his visits."

"But that can't happen. He is going to marry these two." Agnes says as she refers to Henrietta and Tabitha.

"I think that she may realize that he is going to get married and that he already has mistresses." Tiffa says while trying to come to Eleonore's side again.

"How so?"

"She spent a whole month out there with us. We might have been trying to hide it from her, but do you really think that she wouldn't have been able to pick up on it? She isn't exactly a dumb person."

"She also gave him time with each of us at night." Siesta adds to what Tiffa said.

"Even if this is so, I don't think that she knows that Agnes and I are also involved with him. Would she really want to be involved with him if she knew he was with five other women already?"

"Do we WANT to add another girl to the group even if she is okay with it?" Saito says to put the question out on the floor to them.

Everyone pauses while they think.

"I have no room say no to her considering how I became part of this. I think we should let her in if she wants. She's bonded with most of us quite well." Tiffania says to everyone.

"What about you, Siesta?" He asks.

"I'm not really sure if I have much of a say either."

"Of course you do, Siesta." He says to reassure her.

She smiles at him.

"I'm not sure how to feel about another woman in the group, but we did bond a lot during that time in Galia. I've watched her interact with him and I can tell that she cares about him, just like we do."

"Tabitha?"

She stares at him for a moment.

"If this would've happened just after you had left Louise, then I would've said no. But, the fact is that you HAVE been around her a lot, and I have seen you two bond well together. Like The others said, we did spend a month with her too."

"I agree with Tabitha. I also would have said no had this happened months ago. I suppose it would be okay as long as if she is respectful to everyone else, and if she really is okay just being a mistress." Henrietta adds.

"Agnes?"

She crosses her arms and closes her eyes. Then she lets out a hefty sigh.

"I am not fond of sharing, but I did say okay for Tiffania. I was very leery of her at first. I didn't know her well and I had barely spent much time around her. That is not the case with Eleonore. I have spent a lot of time around her when she was training Saito with me. There is also the fact that she went willingly with you into Galia. So, I guess it's okay with me as well as long as if she really is okay with being a mistress."

"What about you, Saito?" Tabitha asks.

"I was wondering if you were going to ask me what I thought. I wanted to hear what all of you said first. As I said with Tiffania, I wouldn't even think of letting her into our group if any of you didn't accept her. That is very important to me. I am waiting to decide things until I hear what she has to say if it gets brought up again. She has been pretty avoidant of me ever since we have left Galia. I will say this though, I have become closer to her ever since she decided to train me. I didn't think that I would have because of everything that did happen between me and her family. But, a lot has happened and I have actually become pretty close to the Valliere family, and I have even noticed Eleonore's personality change for the better. So we shall just have to wait and see what happens."

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Evening of the next day.

Saito was standing outside of the conference room with Julia. He could hear many different voices from inside of the room. He knew that Tabitha and her mother were also in there.

She looks down the hallway to see if anyone is around, and doesn't see anyone.

She gives him a quick, but genuine hug.

After a small bout of surprise, he looks at her.

She had a slight blush on her face.

"What was that for?"

"For coming back alive. Everyone was pretty worried about you. I could even tell that the Queen seemed distracted by your absence as well."

"Thank you for that Julia. That means a lot to me."

"I don't care if you are or aren't a chevalier. You will always be one to me and the other musketeers."

Just as she says that, the doors open up and get held open by Aimee and Guinevere. Various lords leave the room. As they walk by, they acknowledge Saito. Some of them even walk up to him and shake his hand to his surprise.

He sees Jodoc exiting the room and he gets a big smile on his face when he sees Saito.

He starts laughing and extends his arm out to Saito.

He extends his out as well and they grab each other's wrists.

"It is good to see you again brother. That was a glorious battle you fought. I never imagined that you would've been able to take out that giant like that, and everyone got to witness it. You are becoming quite the legend my boy."

Karin walks out from the meeting room as well and walks toward them with a small smile on her face.

Jodoc smacks his shoulder and walks away to leave room for him and Karin.

"Hello Saito."

"Hello Karin."

She gives him a hug.

Julia, Aimee, and Guinevere go bug-eyed when they see this.

When she pulls away, she looks at him sincerely.

"Thank you for saving Louise and keeping Eleonore safe. And thank you for coming back alive as well. You will always have the respect of the Valliere family. Please make sure to see us off before we leave."

"I will certainly do that."

"Good."

As she starts walking away he looks over and Agnes is standing in the doorways and motions for him to come in.

Aimee and Guinevere both smile at him as he enters with Agnes.

Henrietta, Tabitha and her mother were all standing before him.

"Is everything okay, your majesty?"

"Everything is quite well, Saito. I suppose you are wondering why I had called for you."

He scratches his head.

"Well, I actually was."

"It has been collectively agreed upon by the council and the royalty of Galia. . . . "

She motions to Tabitha and her mother.

"That your title of Chevalier be restored."

"What? Seriously?"

She smiles and nods.

"Your actions were of a personal matter and you made sure to keep this country out of a war. Even in doing so, you still rescued a member of nobility that was captured from this country by King Joseph. You even put your life on the line to make sure that she was brought back safely. Do you accept this."

He nods.

"Yes, your Majesty."

Agnes walks over to Henrietta with his mantle.

Henrietta grabs it from her and walks over to Saito. She puts it back on him.

"Thank you, your Majesty."

"No, Saito. Thank you for everything that you have done."

She takes a step back from him.

"But that is not all. It has also been determined that your actions deserve another reward."

"Another reward." He repeats.

Agnes brings over a document to Henrietta and she unrolls it.

"With this document, you are now the lord of your own land."

"My own land?"

"Yes, lord Saito De Chevalier De Hiraga. You now have a place to call your own."

Agnes smiles as she recalls it being her idea.

Aimee, Guinevere, and Julia also smile in excitement.

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Shortly After.

Cardinal Mazarin and Henrietta are in a meeting.

"I demand an explanation for this. Were you planning to marry him this whole time? Is that why you made him a Chevalier and now gave him his own land?"

"Whether I am or am not going to marry him, he deserved both. He has put his life on the line for this country and he has saved thousands of lives through his actions, including yours. If you do not like the fact that I did these things, then ask all of the people he saved. Ask all of the people from Germania that were there with us in Albion. Ask all of the people in Galia that he stopped from being blown up by their own king. Ask our own people. Talk to Jodoc and Karin to see what they think. Perhaps we should even ask the Pope. Saito did take on a 50 foot giant by himself to make sure that no harm came to a priestess of his."

He temporarily shuts his mouth and takes a deep breath.

"Are you really planning on marrying him?"

"Yes." She says confidently.

"Very well, your Highness. May I be excused."

She nods.

Flustered, he turns around and walks away.

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Just as Karin, Louise, and Eleonore are about to leave.

"Thank you for seeing us off, Saito. That was very kind of you." Karin says to him.

Eleonore is lightly blushing.

"Please tell Cattleya that I will visit soon to give her a fresh treatment."

Karin nods to him.

"Thank you, Saito. I am sure that she will be very happy to see you."

Louise walks up to him while clutching the Founder's prayer book that Henrietta had given her. She looks up at him.

"Saito. I want you to hold onto this for a while. Maybe it can help you."

While extending her arms, she holds the book out to him.

"But this is yours, Louise."

"You really saved me out there. You took on that metal monster by yourself just to make sure nothing happened to me. And, this is not the first time that you have helped me out of a sticky situation."

"I am not really a void mage though."

She shakes her head.

"Don't sell yourself short, Saito. You are a mage. I know that you have been able to learn magic and be able to cast it without the help of your new runes. You are a far better mage than me. I saw you use one of my void spells when you were attacking that giant. You used dispel on it. So maybe this book can come to some use to you."

Karin looks at her youngest daughter proudly.

"Thank you, Louise, and I promise to return this to you."

As he grabs the book from her, it lightly glows for a brief moment, but then the glowing fades.

'That was odd.'

They both look puzzled at it for a moment.

He scratches his head.

"Well, it is a magical book."

They both shrug it off.

Eleonore fidgets with her hair and clothing slightly, which did not go unnoticed by her mother. Then Eleonore walks up to Saito.

"Stay safe, Saito. I am glad I had the opportunity to fight along-side you. I am glad we made it through all of that."

She looks at him and she couldn't help but blush a little more.

"I was glad to have you with us. I can't even begin to tell you how much you helped us out. You had to sacrifice a lot to do it though."

"Everything is fine now, Saito. Even though it was a big deal for her to do what she did, everything has been restored to her now. Thank you for your worry." Karin interjects.

Eleonore nods in agreement.

He lets out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. I am happy for you, Eleonore."

After saying that, he gives her a hug, and she hugs him back in return. As they hug, they both think about the incident where they kissed.

Karin could tell that the hug seemed more intimate than just a simple hug.

As they released each other, he gives her a sincere look in the eyes.

"So, is this how we are leaving it?" He whispers to her.

She looks away.

Julio flies over on his dragon and lands next to them.

"Hello Saito."

"Hello Julio. What brings you here?" He asks the other familiar.

"I am escorting them back to their residence. Then, eventually, Louise and I will be returning to Romalia."

"So, you are still planning on continuing with that, Louise?" Saito asks.

She nods.

"Do keep a better eye on her this time."

Julio could feel something ominous coming from Karin.

"I will surely make sure to not make that same mistake again."

Karin and Eleonore enter the carriage while they leave the others outside to finish talking.

Eleonore seemed distracted and kept looking at Saito.

She pulls away from the window and touches her lips with her fingers.

She didn't even notice that her mother was watching her the whole time.

"Did something happen between you and Saito that you haven't told me?"

Eleonore nearly jumps out of her skin as her mother's voice breaks her thoughts. She regains herself and sits properly. She looks at her mother with eyes that her mother had never seen her have before.

Karin didn't see a diplomatic look in her eyes. There was nothing there that suggested politics. There was nothing that suggested what she was going to say was informative, business in nature, or as a matter of fact. She saw confused emotions in her daughter's eyes.

"Mother, I need to talk to you."

"Alright." She says to her eldest daughter with a soft smile.

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Outside of the carriage.

"I have a question for you, Julio."

"What is that?"

Saito narrows his eyes as he looks at Julio as he continues.

"The pope purposely made more distraction for Joseph's air ships at the border, didn't he?"

Louise looks annoyed.

"What are trying to suggest, Saito? You can't question him about the pope like that."

He glares at Louise.

"I can, and I will. This is important."

Then returns his attention to Julio.

"Surely the pope knew that there was no way that Joseph would actually see the light of his ways by getting together the void users and familiars. He knew that I was going after Joseph. So he did what he could to keep Joseph's troops at the border instead of coming back inland to come after me."

"I cannot acknowledge or deny what you are implying, Saito. It is not for me to speak of his actions like that. I can tell you that he was not expecting for Louise to be kidnapped and put in danger like she was. I am ashamed that I wasn't able to stop them. Thank you for helping me save her."

"Hmph. As expected." He says to Julio in a very annoyed tone.

"I was glad to be able to fight with you again. What you did out there was truly amazing. Take care, friend."

"You take care as well, both of you."

Louise steps into the carriage with her mother and oldest sister.

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In the middle of the night at the palace.

Saito was walking back to his room from using the bathroom.

'Man. Having so many girlfriends visiting your room sure makes it hard to get some sleep. I haven't seen Agnes yet, but maybe she is actually staying in for the night.'

He starts to walk past a closed door when it suddenly opens up and two pairs of hands drag him inside.

"What the. . . . "

"Shhhhhhhhhh." He hears a female voice say to him.

He looks at the people who nabbed him and he sighs in relief when he sees that it is just Aimee and Guinevere.

They were both in the room that they were sharing and they were both in modest sleepwear.

They both hug him.

"We have been wanting to do this since you have come back." Guinevere says to him.

"At this hour, though?"

They both nod vigorously.

"Could you please tell us about your adventures too, LORD Saito." Aimee says as she emphasizes the lord part.

He sighs.

'Women are going to be the death of me.'

He holds up his hands.

"Alright, but just a little bit. I need to get some sleep."

The two musketeers smack their hands together in excitement.

He sits in a chair and they sit on the bed while he starts talking.

*Knock, knock, knock."

"Who could that be?" Guinevere asks.

Aimee opens the door and Julia standing there in her nightwear.

"Is that Saito I hear?" Julia asks excitedly with clasped hands.

She nods.

"He was starting to tell us about some of the stuff that happened in Galia."

"Then I am listening too." She says as she goes into the room.

She also gives him a hug and then proceeds to sit on the bed.

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Agnes walks down the hallway after leaving Saito's room. Her arms are crossed, she's grumbling, and there is a sheer look of annoyance on her face.

'Why wasn't he in his room. He should've known that I was going to show up. Where the hell could he be?'

Just as she thinks this, she hears a man's voice coming from the room where her two subordinates use.

She gets up to the door and listens a little closer and she could clearly tell that it is Saito's voice.

She takes a deep breath calmly knocks on their door.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

The room gets quiet and Guinevere slowly opens the door. As she looks at the figure that knocked, she not only terrifyingly realizes it is her captain, but then she sees the scowl on Agnes's face.

One of Agnes' eyes twitches.

Guinevere takes a big gulp and the other two musketeers freeze in fear.

Saito quietly, and rather quickly, gets up and exits the room.

"Goodnight." Agnes says to them and she shuts the door.

After seeing no one else in the hallway, she latches tightly onto his arm.

"What was that about?" She asks while squeezing his arm.

"Actually, it wasn't much of anything. They were happy that I came back and wanted to hear about what happened in Galia."

"And that's all?"

He nods and she loosens her grip on him.

"Good."

She leans her head on his shoulder while they walk back to his room.

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The next day.

Saito and the others went to the academy to gather up their things and tie up some loose ends before going to his mansion.

Saito and Tabitha were taking care of her room.

"I am really glad that we can use magic. Moving all of your books would be a pain in my world. How much of this is going to be taken to Galia?"

"For now, I think that the only thing that I really want to make sure goes with me is this book." She says to him with a smirk on her face."

He looks at the book and he smiles back to her.

"That's the book about the Ivaldi."

She nods.

"Hey, I know it sounds a little silly, but would you mind if I take a little jog around the school one last time. I have a lot of memories here and this is the first place I was at when I came to this world."

She gives him another soft smile and a nod.

"Thanks. I will try not to take too long."

And he takes off after giving her a kiss.

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After taking care of her room quickly because she didn't really have too many possessions, Tiffania started walking around.

She had said some goodbyes to some of the other students including her little fan club.

She ran into Colbert.

"Hello, miss Westwood. So, you will be leaving here and living in Saito's new mansion?"

She nods.

"I will be staying there . . . as a guest." She says to him while trying to keep their relationship a secret.

"I know that you have had Weylyn following you around, but how about we go through the summoning ritual before you go. I would hate for you to leave before you got to do your own summoning."

"I . . . . suppose it wouldn't hurt." She says nervously.

'I wish Saito could be my familiar like how he is Tabitha's familiar.'

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Saito is jogging around the academy and is reminiscing about everything that had happened during his time there.

He remembers how he became Louise's familiar and the time he spent with her. Then he thinks about how he went through the process of undoing that and ended up becoming Tabitha's familiar.

He remembers everything he went through to make sure Siesta didn't stay with Count Mott and become one of his women.

After that, he thinks about all of the training he did with Eleonore and Agnes.

He gets a smile on his face as he thinks about time he spent with Henrietta.

He started to think about Sheffield as he starts turning acorner.

He turns the corner and sees a familiar green oval portal in front of him. The portal looks like the one he went through just before becoming Louise's familiar.'

He could tell that Tiffania and Colbert were around the other side of it.

"Shit!"

He tries to abruptly stop, but he ends up tripping and falling through the portal.

Tiffania gets a shocked look on her face and drops her wand as she braces to catch Saito.

He falls into her and everything goes dark for him.

Her and Colbert blush a deep shade of red.

Saito could feel his head between two soft and warm pillows.

"Ummmmmm, Saito?" Tiffa says sheepishly.

"Your breasts are very nice and soft Tiffa." He says in a muffled voice to her.

He lifts his head up and looks back at the portal just as it disappears.

"Perhaps . . . another time, Miss Westwood." Colbert says.

He walks over to Saito.

"You came around the corner just as we were performing the summoning ritual. It looks like nothing came through because it got interrupted though."

Saito looks at the spot where the portal was skeptically.

'I hope that is the case.'

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Later on.

Tabitha, Siesta, and Saito were in Tabitha's room. The room had a bunch of boxes and bags lined up in it.

Tiffa knocks on the door and Siesta lets her in. She puts down her back while Siesta shuts the door.

Without even thinking, Saito gives her a simple kiss.

Seconds later his body begins burning up.

"Oh, shit! You have got to be kidding me!" He shouts out through gritted teeth.

"What's going on!" Siesta asks in a panicked tone.

"I didn't think that this was going to happen!" Tiffa shouts out.

"What happened?" Tabitha asks.

Saito drops to one knee. He feels the burning sensation focusing in on his chest and he quickly opens up his shirt.

Runes start etching into his chest.

Everyone's eyes go wide in shock.

"Not again!" He yells just before passing out.

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A couple hours later he opens his eyes and the girls are all round him.

"Are you all right?" Siesta asks.

"Ugh."

He sits up and puts his hand on his head.

Tiffania looks like she is about to burst into tears.

"Alright. First question. Is it possible to be the familiar to two people?"

"It's unheard of." Tabitha plainly says.

"Well, then that leaves me with two conclusions. Either A: I became her familiar through an astronomical accident by going through that portal, or B: Fate has it out for me and decided to play a joke on me by making me a familiar to two people."

"You think that the portal really was meant for you?" Siesta asks.

He nods.

Tiffania couldn't hold back anymore and bursts out crying.

He pats her back.

"I don't think that Colbert was informed about the fact that all of the void mages so far have had human familiars. It was probably just an honest mistake on his part and he just did what he was used to doing."

"I didn't know! I didn't know! I didn't think anything of it either." Tiffa says through her crying and shaking her head.

He sighs heavily.

"It'll be alright. I will just deal with this one tonight, just I did the other one. Then, tomorrow, I will explain things to Henrietta and Agnes as we ride out to the mansion."

"We will need to figure out what these runes do." Tabitha states.

'So now you are bonded to her as well.' Both of the spirits communicate to him.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 48 of my story.

Sorry to the people that like to see battles, but this one I am going to glaze over because the outcome is going to be exactly the same as before.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	49. Chapter 49: A Place To Call Home

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Sorry for the long delay. Life took over this past weekend and I was so busy that I didn't have time to type up this latest chapter. Hope you forgive the delay.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Forty-Nine

A Place To Call Home

Two carriages, a wagon, and a half a dozen musketeers on horseback are traveling along a long road leading to Saito's mansion.

Saito, Tabitha, and Henrietta are in one carriage being driven by Agnes.

Saito is looking out the window at the lands as they drive up to the mansion.

"I do apologize for the state of the land. The previous lord that lived here had died 10 years ago with no heir to take over. The house and the land were minimally tended to by a small staff. There aren't really any young people among the staff. A lot of the younger ones went for work in the city." Henrietta tells him with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

'I wish I would have had more time to prep it for him.'

'If that is the case, then I wonder what kind of condition the mansion is in.' He wonders.

"So, the land has not been occupied for a decade?"

Henrietta shakes her head.

"You seem surprised."

"I am, but I guess it makes sense. Here, everyone is either born into nobility, or they're not. I suppose lords don't just pop out of nowhere very often, do they?"

Both Henrietta and Tabitha shake their heads.

"It's quite the honor, Saito." Tabitha says to him.

Then Tabitha turns to Henrietta.

"What was the name of this land?" She asks.

"Ornieres." Henrietta says to them.

"Saito De Chevalier De Hiraga De Ornieres." Tabitha says his title.

"Other than the fact that the land needs a little extra tending to, this seems like quite a large piece of land."

"Yes, it is." Henrietta says in agreement while nodding her head.

They start to pass an area of the land where people are tending to grape vines.

He waves and smiles at the people and they smile and wave back.

"The good news is, the arid environment here makes it great for growing grapes."

He sits back and starts rubbing his chin.

"Something wrong?" Tabitha asks Saito.

He shakes his head.

"On the contrary, things are great. I've got a lot of ideas for this land already."

Henrietta gets a bit of a surprised look on her face.

"Oh! And what might that be?"

"Well, for starters, I want to start making wine. I think that I could probably make a lot of money making good wine."

Henrietta smiles at him.

"That would surely make a lot of noblemen happy. That is the drink of choice."

"Exactly." Saito responds.

"Part of the land I want to use for my army. And then I also want to use some of the land to grow a few other crops like corn. It should work out okay with proper irrigation and crop rotation. That would help balance out some of the food needs for them."

"Crop rotation and irrigation?" Tabitha inquires

He nods.

"Irrigation will help get water out to the crops, and then crop rotation will keep the soil full of nutrients. A crop will use certain nutrients in the soil while others use different nutrients. By rotating the crops, you are able to use the soil more efficiently and create a good crop every year. That is as long as the weather doesn't cause any problems."

"That is amazing Saito. Did you learn that from where you came from?"

He nods.

"I would like to learn more about this?" Tabitha adds.

"That would be no problem. The other thing I want to do is create a trade center. This would be a good way to get together with other lords and trade for goods and services. They get what they need, and I get what I need to supply my army. Hopefully that would also draw in some of the younger crowd as well."

"Impressive." Is simply stated by Tabitha.

"Thanks. I just want to do everything I can to keep costs down. I don't exactly have a lot of riches at the moment."

The road that they are riding along starts to improve in quality and he looks out into the distance. He can see the mansion.

"Is that my mansion." He says out of surprise and excitement.

She giggles.

"Yes. it is. That is your mansion, Lord Saito."

As they ride up, he sees his beautiful mansion. It looks as though it had just been cleaned. The double doors gleamed at the front entrance with a balcony over it. The stair lead up to a deck that spans a handful of rooms in one direction and a couple in the other.

His jaw drops at its beauty.

"I hope you like it. I was only able to put attention on the mansion during the month you were gone. It had gotten quite run down over the years and it needed many repairs. It also needed a good cleaning. It got done just in time."

"Wow! That's great!" he says excitedly.

Then he gives her a curious look.

"Wait. You had this worked on while I was in Galia?"

She nods and then makes a shushing motion.

"I was already planning on giving this to you after Agnes suggested it, and your little extravaganza in Galia gave me the good reason I needed to let you have it." The Queen whispers in his ear.

"Agnes?" He states.

Agnes blushes and tries to hide a proud smile.

"Come now, let's take a look inside." Henrietta says to everyone.

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After taking a tour of the mansion, with many ogling of the library, kitchen, and dining hall, everyone found themselves standing in the corridor where all of the rooms are at.

"I think that we need to figure out the bedroom arrangements." Tiffa says to everyone.

Tabitha starts walking toward the main bedroom.

Henrietta puts her hands on her hips.

"Not so fast. With there being so many of us being involved with him, then it isn't fair to everyone that you just take the master bedroom with him. I think that I should have the room next to his. I did help him get this after all." Henrietta says.

"That room should be mine. I am his personal maid after all. And, besides that, I will always be here with him. Both of you will be away a lot ruling your respective countries." Siesta points out to the Queen and the Princess.

Agnes sighs.

'I would like that room, but Siesta does unfortunately have a point. I am not going to be the one to say that to her Majesty though.' Agnes inwardly thinks.

Tabitha and Henrietta glare at Siesta and pout at her.

Tiffa raises her hand.

"I want that room too."

Saito lets out a hefty sigh and covers his face.

"I never thought that the bedroom arrangements would be so difficult." He says under his breath.

"At least you're not going to be lonely, partner." Derf says to him.

"That . . . . is an understatement." He says to his sword as he starts walking away.

'I am going to find something else to get involved in before they drag me into this.' He muses.

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After some moving and lunch, Henrietta had left to go back to the palace with Agnes and most of the other musketeers.

Siesta was making home of the kitchen and some of the others were tending to their rooms and going through the belongings that they had brought with them.

Saito hears a knock on the woodworking of his bedroom doorway. He looks back to see Aimee standing there.

"Is something wrong?" He asks.

"Well. You have a couple of visitors."

He raises an eyebrow.

"Already? Who is it?"

"It is Eleonore and Cattleya."

He smacks his forehead.

"Oh boy." He says and then he lets out a big sigh.

"They are here with a carriage as well." She says to him.

"Alright. Where are they?"

"They are waiting for you in the library."

He gives her a nod.

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As he enters into the library he sees the two elder Valliere sisters sitting patiently.

Cattleya was facing toward him and is the first to get up. She walks over to him and gives him a hug.

"It is good to see you finally. I had not seen you since you had left for Galia."

"It is good to see you as well, Cattleya. Why the visit? I was planning on coming to see you shortly. Are you feeling okay?"

She smiles at him.

"I am still pretty well. Thank you for asking. I am here because of my sister."

Eleonore turns her head to look at him and she slowly stands up. With her hands clasped in front of her, she walks toward him. Despite the prim and proper act that she was trying to put on, they could tell she seemed nervous.

He looks at her puzzledly.

"Eleonore?"

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Cattleya nudges Eleonore.

"I am here to move in."

He scratches his head and he sweat-drops.

"As a guest?" He asks even though he is pretty sure that that is not the reason.

"I wish to be . . . . your . . . kept . . . woman."

He nervously smiles and then takes a gulp.

"Kept woman?"

Cattleya gets next to him and whispers into his ear.

"It's a more refined way of saying mistress."

"Are you serious about this?" He says aloud.

Eleonore's eye twitches and her hands clench a little tighter. Then she just smiles and nods.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out.

"I was worried things were going to happen like this. Let's get some tea and talk about this some more."

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After Siesta had brought some tea, Saito sat down with the two Valliere sisters. He was sitting in a chair and the two sisters were sitting on a couch next to each other.

After taking a good drink of his tea, Saito looks at them and speaks up.

"First, I would like to hear what you have to say. I want to know why you want to do this. My decision will depend on what you say. I would also like to know why you changed your mind."

Cattleya lays a gentle hand on her sister's hand and gives her a reassuring nod.

"I have multiple reasons for this decision. My family has been in an uproar recently over your actions."

He gets a surprised look.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to cause your family distress." He says apologetically.

Cattleya holds up a hand.

"Please let her finish Saito."

He nods.

"It is not that you have actually caused us problems in the typical sense. My family couldn't figure out how to repay you for all of the things that you have done for our family."

"But, I only did the things I did because it was the right thing to do."

Eleonore shakes her head.

"But, that is not how things work for aristocrats. We view it as a debt to be paid. You have done so much for us. You have risked your life for Louise so many times. You even faced that metal giant alone to keep her alive. You have also given Cattleya her life back. She surely would have lived a shorter and unfruitful life had it not been for you. Our father would not be in the position he is in if it wasn't for your suggestion to the Queen."

"But it wasn't me that actually gave him that position."

"This is true. you didn't directly give it to him, but I think that it was your recommendation that made the difference. I don't know if the Queen would have actually given our family thought because of our family's treatment of you."

"I agree with her, Saito." Cattleya adds.

"But didn't this also cause you problems?"

"That is also true. The new position has caused some family strain from the distance that it has put between all of us, but we still couldn't be happier over everything."

"You have really had a positive effect on our whole family, Saito." Cattleya says.

"So, we were faced with what to do to repay you. This had caused many arguments in our household. I came up with this solution."

His shoulders slump slightly.

"So, you are doing this out of some sort of noblesse Oblige? That is not how I conduct myself, and you should already know that."

Eleonore shifts her glasses and gives him a soft smile.

"I do know this about you. I already knew that you were going to say that. I also have reasons on a more personal level to do this though."

He raises an eyebrow.

"I have been around you a lot since you had left Louise. I was there when you gained your ability to cast magic. I helped train you. I've spent time with you while you were at the academy and even in the archive when you nearly fell because you were saving me. Then there was also the time I spent with you in Galia."

"And the kiss you gave me when you stopped me from killing those men." He adds.

She nods.

"Yes. It took me a long time to realize it, but I have fallen for you. I miss you when you are not around. I was worried sick about you when you disappeared after that terrible fight in Albion. I have longed for your companionship. That time I spent with you in Galia sealed my feelings for you. I had not said anything to you initially because I was very confused about everything and I needed some time to sort my feelings out."

"I am very touched by your words Eleonore, and I can honestly say that I share your feelings. Are you really sure that you are okay with just being a Kept Woman? Are you really okay knowing that you, the eldest daughter of the Valliere family, will never marry me even though you are with me? Don't you want to get married? "

"I won't lie. Part of me really does want to get married and probably always will. I have been coming to terms with this though. I already knew that you wouldn't be marrying me. You are going to marry Tabitha. Or should I say, lady Charlotte. I wouldn't have offered myself as a Kept Woman without knowing what it really meant. I also had a failed engagement. It was a forced engagement and I even managed to get myself worked up over it. But we weren't happy. I have found that in you. We get along and you don't seem to mind me being around. And you didn't seem bothered when you saw me nearly naked."

They both seem to blush as that memory resurfaces.

"You do realize that I have other mistresses though, right? You wouldn't just be sharing me with Tabitha."

She sighs.

"I know."

"You do."

She nods.

"You didn't think that I wouldn't notice that you were in a relationship with Siesta and Tiffania as well, did you? I was around all of you pretty intimately during our time in Galia. I bonded with all of you during that time and I have to accept them as well."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out.

"There is still something else that you need to know." He says seriously to her.

Cattleya raises an eyebrow.

"What else would there be?"

"What I am going to tell you now may change your mind, and I understand if you do. I am going to tell both of you about this, but you have to swear to me that you will not talk with anyone else about this before you even hear it."

The two sisters look at each other cautiously.

"Is it really something that serious that we have to swear secrecy?"

"Yes, and if you can't agree to my terms beforehand then this is off." He again says seriously to them."

"Alright, Saito, I agree because it is you." Cattleya says to him and then Elenore also show her agreement by giving him a nod.

"They aren't the only women I am with." He says to them.

"Who else?" Eleonore asks curiously and cautiously while narrowing her eyes at him.

'Who else could there be that he is being this careful?' She thinks.

"The Queen and Captain Agnes."

Cattleya's eyes go wide and Eleonore's jaw drops.

"That is why I had to swear you into secrecy"

"This explains why you seem so close to her." Cattleya says.

"How long has this been?" Eleonore asks.

"It's been a long while. It happened shortly after I became Tabitha's familiar. It hasn't been that long for Agnes though. She didn't truly become a part of this until after my little battle in Albion."

Eleonore crosses her arms.

"So, how is that even going to work? You are with a Princess and a Queen. Surely their respective countries would not put up with either of them being just a mistress of yours."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Eleonore. So, I am going to marry them both as a dual monarchy."

She raises an eyebrow.

"That is an interesting solution. How did you come up with that?"

"Something I remembered learning about from my world."

"I would have to deal with Her Majesty and Agnes as well then."

He nods.

"Would you have to discuss this with her as well then?"

"I actually already did."

"You did?" Both of the sisters ask at the same time.

"Yes, I did. I wanted to discuss it with them before something like this came up."

"And what does she think about this?"

"She was hesitant at first. She said that had this happened just after everything happened between me and Louise, then her answer would have been no. But she said it would be okay as long as if you are respectful to everyone. My question is, do you still want to do this?"

"May I speak with my sister for a moment?"

He nods and then he leaves the room.

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After a short while of standing in the main entrance area just outside of the library. The two Valliere sisters come out.

"Have you decided?"

"Getting right to the point, aren't you?" Cattleya responds.

He nods.

Eleonore lets out a sigh.

"There was more than I expected, but my offer still stands."

"Very well. I accept your offer."

Cattleya grabs her sister's arm and smiles at her.

"Now we can get you moved in. Mother will be pleased." She says to her sister.

He raises an eyebrow.

Cattleya looks at Saito.

"We have a couple servants that we brought to help with the moving process."

He covers his face with his hands.

"There will be plenty of times that I will not be here. I still have my teaching."

"Understood."

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That evening, Saito was exploring the mansion and ended up venturing into the basement.

"There sure is a lot of stuff down here. They must have put some of this stuff down here when they were cleaning the place up."

He moves a few things off to the side and he is able to get to the bookcase that was down there. He noticed the bookcase when they toured the mansion.

"I found it quite interesting that they would put a bookcase down here when there was that huge library. What kind of books would they put down here? Maybe this was a private study at some point."

He pulls out a book and he leans against the wall. As he leans against the wall, a portion of it pushes in and he hears a click. Another portion of wall rotates and reveals a secret passage that leads into a hallway.

"No way! This is cool. I always wanted a house with a secret passage."

"Well lucky for you, partner. You found one."

He enters the passage and follows the hallway down to another door.

"Well, I hope this isn't some sort of dungeon."

He opens the door and it reveals a finely designed room that is lavishly outfitted and preserved. There is a king-sized bed in it. There is also a nice vanity dresser in it.

"Was this place enchanted to keep it like this?"

He finds a perfectly clean mirror also in the room that catches his eye. As he reaches it and touches it. As he touches it, it ripples.

"Now what did I do?"

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Henrietta was in her room at the palace.

She was dressed for the night and was wearing some very revealing night time clothing that showed off an ample amount of her chest. She was also only wearing a matching pair of purple panties.

She was reaching into a closet and a mirror that was inside of it starts to glow and reveals Saito.

"Saito?" She says as she touches it.

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The mirror glows and he sees Henrietta in the mirror.

"Henrietta?"

With another flash of light, she appears in front of him in the rooms with him.

"Ummmmm, this is interesting." He says to her.

Then he gets a glance of her chest and they both blush. She doesn't bother to conceal herself though.

"How did this happen?"

"The mirrors must have been linked somehow. I wonder if my grandfather must have had a mistress at this house. Who would have thought that for such a stern man, that he would have had a secret like this?"

"Speaking of mistresses, Eleonore came here today and she had asked to be a kept woman."

"Wow. I can't believe it, but we did agree to it. I guess we shall see how things go with her."

He nods.

Then she smirks at him and then wraps her arms around his neck.

"This room gives me a great idea though."

"Ut-oh. What is that?"

"I think that this could be our little secret too. I get to come see you now without anyone else knowing and having to travel a long distance."

"That sounds great."

"I am going to definitely take advantage this."

He quirks an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean by that? That sounded awfully mischievous." He says to her.

She presses herself against him and kisses him.

"You tell Siesta to get this room ready for me for tomorrow night. I want to meet here with you again."

"Okay." He says to her.

"And tell Tabitha that she better take her opportunity tonight, because I am going to take mine tomorrow night."

She touches her hand to his chest.

"And you make sure to be ready too." She tells him.

She kisses him and heads back into the mirror.

He scratches his head for a moment.

"I wonder what she meant."

Then it dawns on him.

"Oh my god!"

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After telling Siesta and Tabitha about the room, he decides to settle in for the night.

"I wonder if Tabitha is really going to take her opportunity. I told her about it and then she just shoved me out of her room."

He hears a knock on his door.

"Come in."

The door opens and it reveals Tabitha. She is wearing a light green robe and is holding it closed. She also seems like she is cold.

"Everything okay?"

She nods and continues to walk over to his bed.

When she gets close, she loosens the robe and it reveals that she is only wearing panties underneath.

She blushes and looks slightly away in embarrassment as he stares at her.

She smiles at him as he looks back up at her face.

"Please be gentle."

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In accordance with FF dot net's guidelines, the lemon scene for this chapter will not be posted on this site, but it will be posted on adult – fanfiction dot o r g.

I know that some of you are probably disappointed that I am not posting it here, but I did the same thing for my Kenichi story.

I can't put a direct link on here because it will get filtered but here is a way to get to it.

It is on the adult (dash) fanfiction.o rg site

When you get there, go to the archives menu and click on anime, then click on the (+. To F) category, then click on 'familiar of zero, the'. You should be able to find it there.

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Omake

Cattleya's Chance

As he enters into the library he sees the two elder Valliere sisters sitting patiently.

Cattleya was facing toward him and is the first to get up. She walks over to him and gives him a hug.

"It is good to see you finally. I had not seen you since you had left for Galia."

"It is good to see you as well, Cattleya. Why the visit? I was planning on coming to see you shortly. Are you feeling okay?"

She smiles at him.

"I am still pretty well. Thank you for asking. I am here because I wish to move in!" She says to him very excitedly.

He scratches his head and he sweat-drops.

"As a guest?" He asks even though he is pretty sure that that is not the reason.

"I wish to be your kept woman."

He nervously smiles and then takes a gulp.

"Kept woman?"

Eleonore's eye twitches and she stands up. She walks over to him and speaks softly.

"To put it in a more crude term, a kept woman is a more refined way of saying mistress."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" He says aloud to both of them.

Eleonore crosses her arms and Cattleya vigorously nods up and down with a huge smile on her face.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out.

"I was worried things were going to happen like this. Let's get some tea and talk about this some more."

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After Siesta had brought some tea, Saito sat down with the two Valliere sisters. He was sitting in a chair and the two sisters were sitting on a couch next to each other.

After taking a good drink of his tea, Saito looks at them and speaks up.

"First, I would like to hear what you have to say. I want to know why you want to do this. My decision will depend on what you say."

Cattleya lays a gentle hand on her sister's hand and gives her a reassuring nod.

"I have multiple reasons for this decision. My family has been in an uproar recently over your actions."

He gets a surprised look.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to cause your family distress." He says apologetically.

Eleonore holds up a hand.

"Please let her finish, Saito." Eleonore says to him in a scolding manner.

He nods.

"It is not that you have actually caused us problems in the typical sense. My family couldn't figure out how to repay you for all of the things that you have done for our family." Cattleya adds to her previous remark.

"But, I only did the things I did because it was the right thing to do."

Eleonore shakes her head and responds to him.

"But, that is not how things work for aristocrats. We view it as a debt to be paid. You have done so much for us. You have risked your life for Louise so many times. You even faced that metal giant alone to keep her alive. You have also given Cattleya her life back. She surely would have lived a shorter and unfruitful life had it not been for you. Our father would not be in the position he is in if it wasn't for your suggestion to the Queen."

"But it wasn't me that actually gave him that position." He retorts.

"This is true. You didn't directly give it to him, but I think that it was your recommendation that made the difference. I don't know if the Queen would have actually given our family thought because of our family's treatment of you." Responds Cattleya.

"I agree with her, Saito." Eleonore adds.

"But didn't this also cause you problems?"

"That is also true. The new position has caused some family strain from the distance that it has put between all of us, but we still couldn't be happier over everything. You have really had a positive effect on our whole family, Saito." Cattleya says.

"So, we were faced with what to do to repay you. This had caused many arguments in our household. Cattleya came up with this solution." Chimes in Eleonore

His shoulders slump slightly.

"So, you are doing this out of some sort of noblesse Oblige? That is not how I conduct myself, and you should already know that."

Eleonore shifts her glasses and gives him a soft smile.

"I do know this about you. We already knew that you were going to say that."

"But, my desire to do this is also personal." Cattleya adds

He raises an eyebrow.

She gets off of the couch and kneels in front of him.

"Sister!" Eleonore shouts out.

The pink-haired sister looks back.

"I don't care!" She retorts back to Eleonore and then looks up at Saito.

She also clasps his hands.

"I want to be with you. I have come to love you. All of my teasing has been more than just playfulness. You have given me my life back. You are the kindest man I have ever met. No one from any of the other families compares to you. My family even loves you."

Eleonore blushes and looks to the side.

"I do not." She mutters under breath.

Cattleya just waves her off.

"Stop being in such denial, Eleonore. I know that you like him too."

Eleonore crosses her arms and huffs.

"Plus, if I am here with you, then it becomes easier to give me treatments."

Eleonore nods in agreement to the last statement.

"That might be true but . . ."

Cattleya sits up on her knees and places a finger over his lips.

"I long for you, Saito. My mind is filled with nothing but thoughts of you. When you leave, I am plagued with thoughts of when you are going to be back. I sometimes even just stare out the window hoping that you will come riding up. I was so envious of my sister Eloeonore's time with you in Galia that it nearly killed me. Please don't turn me away. I am alive now and I have found the person that I want to live it with."

They both seem to blush after pouring her heart out.

"You do realize that I have other mistresses though, right? You wouldn't just be sharing me with Tabitha."

She sighs.

"I know."

"You do."

She nods.

"You didn't think that I wouldn't notice that you were in a relationship with Siesta and Tiffania as well, did you? I was around all of you pretty intimately during our time in Galia. I discussed this with Cattleya and she is fully accepting of the situation."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out.

"There is still something else that you need to know." He says seriously to her.

Both sisters raises an eyebrow.

"What else would there be?"

"What I am going to tell you now may change your mind, and I understand if you do. I am going to tell both of you about this, but you have to swear to me that you will not talk with anyone else about this before you even hear it."

The two sisters look at each other cautiously.

"Is it really something that serious that we have to swear secrecy?"

"Yes, and if you can't agree to my terms beforehand then this is off." He again says seriously to them.

"Alright, Saito, I agree because it is you." Cattleya says to him and then Elenore also show her agreement by giving him a nod.

"They aren't the only women I am with." He says to them.

"Who else?" Eleonore asks curiously and cautiously while narrowing her eyes at him.

'Who else could there be that he is being this careful?' She thinks.

"The Queen and Captain Agnes."

Cattleya's eyes go wide and Eleonore's jaw drops.

"That is why I had to swear you into secrecy."

"This explains why you seem so close to her." Cattleya says.

"How long has this been?" Eleonore asks.

"It's been a long while. It happened shortly after I became Tabitha's familiar. It hasn't been that long for Agnes though. She didn't truly become a part of this until after my little battle in Albion."

Eleonore crosses her arms.

"So, how is that even going to work? You are with a Princess and a Queen. Surely their respective countries would not put up with either of them being just a mistress of yours."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Eleonore. So, I am going to marry them both as a dual monarchy."

She raises an eyebrow.

"That is an interesting solution. How did you come up with that?"

"Something I remembered learning about from my world."

"I would have to deal with Her Majesty and Agnes as well then." Interrupts Cattleya.

He nods.

"Would you have to discuss this with her as well then?" Asks Eleonore.

"I actually already did."

"You did?" Both of the sisters ask at the same time.

"Yes, I did. I wanted to discuss it with them before something like this came up."

"And what does she think about this?"

"She was hesitant at first. She said that had this happened just after everything happened between me and Louise, then her answer would have been no. But she said it would be okay as long as if you are respectful to everyone. My question is, do you still want to do this?"

Eleonore was about to motion to her sister, but Cattleya quickly responds.

"Absolutely. I don't care if there are more. If you are still willing to accept me, then of course my answer is going to be yes. Besides, then I get to watch even more of your children."

'Motherly as always.' He muses

Eleonore lets out a sigh.

"Very well. I accept your offer." He says to Cattleya.

Cattleya grabs her sister's arm and smiles at her.

"Now we can get you moved in. Mother will be pleased." Eleonore says to her younger sister.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 49 of my story. I hope it was worth the wait.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	50. Chapter 50: Unexpected Guest

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

WOW! – Chapter 50

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty

Unexpected Guest

Saito wakes up next to a blushing Tabitha in his bed. They are both naked and under the covers.

She presses against him and gives him a good morning kiss.

"Well, good morning to you too." He says to her.

*Knock, knock, knock*

"Yes?"

"It's Siesta."

"You may enter."

She opens the door and gets a big smile on her face when she sees the two of them in bed together naked.

She is holding some clothes in her hands.

"Good morning you two. I take it that you had a pleasant night?"

Tabitha blushes more and a smile crosses her face.

"Breakfast will be ready soon. I figured that I would bring these in for the two of you."

"Thank you, Siesta. You can just leave those at the end of the bed."

She nods and does just that.

She walks back out of the room with a slight joyful hop in her step.

After the door closes, Saito looks at Tabitha.

"I wonder why she is so happy this morning. Could she really be that happy that you and I had sex last night?"

She just shrugs.

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Everyone was sitting down at the table for breakfast. Saito sat at the head of the table with Tabitha at one side of him with Sylphid next to her. Tiffania was at his other side. Weylyn was gnawing on a bone in the corner of the room.

Eleonore is about to sit down next to Tiffania.

"Good morning Eleonore." Tiffania says joyfully to her.

"Good morning to you too."

"How was your first night here, Eleonore?" Siesta asks as she enters into the dining hall with some plates full of food.

"It wasn't what I am used to, but it was nice. Thank you for asking Siesta. You are making this place quite welcoming." Eleonore says in response while sitting down.

Siesta blushes from the compliment. Then she starts setting the plates down in front of everyone.

"It is nice to have you here, Eleonore. This is certainly better than spending all that time sleeping in tents in Galia."

'I got to sleep next to you during most of those nights though.' Eleonore inwardly muses.

"Even though this will take some adjusting, I am happy to be here with all of you."

"There is going to be a lot of adjusting going on here for everyone."

Everyone nods in agreement.

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Later on.

Siesta was lugging around a basket full of clean bedding and was humming a tune with a big smile plastered across her face.

'I can't wait.' She thinks to herself.

She passes by Saito walking the grounds with Eleonore and manages to catch him sneaking a kiss.

After hearing her giggle, he sees her and waves to her. She goes over to them.

Just as he is about to say something her he sees one of the caretakers of the land walking toward him.

He is a man that looks to be in his 60's and has graying hair.

"There you are young master."

"What can I do for you . . ." Saito starts to say, but then he starts scratching his head as he tries to remember his name.

"Gregory. There is a problem with an area of land."

"Show me."

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Along the travel to the problem area that the attendant was waking them to, they had come across the other girls as well.

They all made their way to the spot of land that Gregory was talking about.

They look at an area of land where water is sprouting from the ground.

Saito activates his powers.

"Is the land getting flooded?" Siesta asks.

"The lands must be angry." Tiffania says in a panicked tone.

Saito turns off his powers.

"This . . . . is . . . . .awesome!"

Tabitha and Eleonore look at him.

"It's alright everyone. It's a hot spring."

"A hot spring?"

"It's like a natural hot bath with great health benefits. I can't wait to use it. I will have to get some workers on it right away. The sooner we get to use it the better."

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That evening, after seeing everyone off to bed, Saito went to the secret room and stands in front of the mirror.

He touches the mirror and it ripples like it did the previous night.

He sees Henrietta and calls to her.

He sees her touch the mirror and it glows. After it glows, she appears in the room in front of him.

He could clearly see what she is wearing under the lacey robe she was wearing.

She is wearing a pink and black corset with matching garter belt, panties and stockings.

His mouth drops open.

"Surprise!" She says to him with a smile on her face.

He can't help but stare at her.

She does a little spin for him. The robe flows with her spin

"I take it that you like what you see."

He nods vigorously.

"I think that I would be a fool if I said that I didn't."

She giggles lightly.

"So, did Tabitha take up the offer." She says slyly to him.

He nods.

"Yes, she did."

"Good. I am glad that gave her the extra little push she needed to be with you. Now it's my turn. I hope you are ready, honey. I hope you can romance a lady a little bit beforehand though."

He smirks at her.

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In the morning.

*Knock, knock, knock"

"Yes?"

"It's Siesta."

"Come in."

Siesta opens the door and peeks inside to see if anyone else is inside.

A big grin makes its way to her facial expressions when she sees no one else is in the room with him.

She gets inside, closes the door, and locks it.

"Siesta?"

She stands by the door and looks at Saito.

He stares at her with a puzzled look as he sits up in the bed.

"I suppose you were wondering why I was so happy yesterday."

He gives a nod.

"I WAS wondering."

She takes out the dagger from the back bow of her outfit and tosses it to the floor.

"When all of us girls first got together with you . . . "

She unravels the whip/band around her waist and lets it drop to the floor around her. She steps over it and continues to slowly walk toward Saito.

"It was agreed that the mistresses could not bed with you until Henrietta and Tabitha did."

He gulps.

"That was the agreement that all of you came up with." He states in acknowledgement.

She takes off her apron and it makes a loud thump when it hits the ground.

"Well, Tabitha took her opportunity the other day."

She begins undoing her maid outfit.

She slips out of the outfit and Saito could swear he heard something that sounded like a chain. She stands in front of him in just some simple underwear and the garters around her thighs that held her hand muskets and her shurikens.

She puts her hands on her hips while looking at him.

"And Henrietta took hers last night." He says to her.

She takes off the holsters and places them on the floor.

"So now I finally get to have my chance with you. I have wanted to do this with you for a very long time Saito. I've wanted to do this ever since you rescued me from that count."

"Wow. That long?"

She nods.

'I wonder what it's going to be like this time.' Serena and Zephira both say to him.

'Perverts.'

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Later in the day.

While standing guard, Aimee hears heavy and un-rhythmed footsteps coming toward her.

She looks around to see who is coming and does not see anyone.

"Who's there." She calls out as she draws her sword.

"I shall . . . reveal . . . myself, but please, do not . . . attack . . . me." A female voice says to her.

Aimee could tell by the way that the person spoke that she was exhausted.

"I shall be the judge of that. First reveal yourself." Says to the voice.

'This could be a trap.'

A woman appears 10 feet in front of her as she unveils herself.

"Sheffield!"

Aimee takes a battle stance and is ready to charge at her.

Sheffield holds out a hand in a motion to signal Aimee to stop and she stumbles lightly while doing so.

The musketeer finds this odd and makes a closer inspection of her enemy.

Sheffield's hair is slightly disheveled. Her makeup had run and left trails down her face. Her eyes have dark circles under them. Cuts and tares were in her clothing. Her left arm was at her side and she seems to be favoring it. Her cloths also had spot of mud on them. Her stance was unbalanced and wavering.

"Please. . . . don't attack me."

As Sheffield says this, her eyes nearly close from being so tired, but she fights to keep them open.

"You are a musketeer, right?"

"Yes." Aimee says sternly.

"Good. Then, maybe, he really is here." Sheffield says under breath.

"And who might you be referring to?"

"Is this . . . . . . Saito's . . . . . home?"

Aimee narrows her eyes at her disheveled foe and grips her sword a little tighter.

"Yes, it is."

"Good." She says softly.

Aimee could hear the sense of relief in Sheffield's voice when she said that.

"I would like to speak with him."

Just as she was saying that the door slowly opens and Siesta gasps and puts a hand in front of her mouth when she sees the woman that she never thought she would see again.

Aimee glances back at the maid.

"She wishes to speak with Saito." Aimee informs her.

"He is out at the moment." Siesta informs her.

"May I . . . . wait . . . . . for him?" She says humbly to the maid.

Siesta pauses a moment as she stares at Sheffield and contemplates what she is going to say.

'I know that Saito wanted to save her, and she looks like she went through a lot to get here, but I can't help but still want to treat her like an enemy. Did she walk the whole way here? What happened to her? How is she alive? I don't think that Saito would be happy with me if I turned her away or treated her inhospitably.'

"Aimee, I will be right back. I will wake Guinevere and I will get Eleonore as well."

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Siesta returns after waking Guinevere, Finding Eleonore, and explaining the situation to both of them.

"Follow me." Siesta coldly says to Sheffield.

Sheffield slightly stumbles up the steps, but catches herself before completely falling. Then she continues to follow Siesta.

Eleonore watches her through clenched teeth while standing in the main entrance hall. Her wand is in hand.

'I am fighting every urge to kill her for everything that she has done, especially to my sister.'

Sheffield could feel the glares coming from Eleonore.

Guinevere followed behind Sheffield with her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Siesta leads her into the library and motions to the couch.

"You . . . . are familiar." Sheffield hazily says to Siesta.

"Siesta is my name. I was with Saito during some of your attacks, and I was also with him during his time in Galia."

"I thought so."

As she tries to gracefully sit on the couch, she instantly feels the comfort of the cushion that is on it. Her tired body uncontrollably relaxes into it as her journey catches up to her.

"I know it may be rude, but may I just rest my head for a moment?"

Siesta pauses again while she thinks of her response to the guest. Then she just gives a simple nod.

"Thank you." Is her response and she makes no hesitation to lay down and rests her head on the cushion.

Everything fades around her as sleep takes over. Within moments, she is asleep.

Eleonore motions for Siesta to come out into the hallway, and she does.

"I do not approve of this woman being in this mansion. She should be executed for everything she has done." Eleonore says angrily to her.

Siesta motions for her to calm down.

"I know that you are angry, but please be calm. Saito wouldn't want that. We explained his thoughts on the matter to you. He tried so hard to save her, and here she is. At our doorstep. Has she been violent, or said anything threatening to any of us?"

Eleonore doesn't respond.

"No, she hasn't. She has been nothing but respectful to us ever since she got here. Let's be respectful to Saito's wishes." Siesta adds.

Eleonore nearly snaps her wand in anger as she bends it. She huffs and then takes a deep breath to try to calm herself down.

"Fine, but don't expect much else from me as far as she is concerned."

Siesta nods to the blond mage.

The front door opens and Tiffania rushes in with Weylyn. Weylyn sniffs the air and starts growling. His back arches and he hunches down slightly as he looks at the entrance of the library.

Tiffa motions for him to heel.

"So, I guess it is true. Sheffield must be here."

Siesta and Eleonore nod to her.

Tiffania slowly walks over to the doorway. First, she sees Guinevere. Then she sees Sheffield asleep on the couch.

Guinevere nods to her.

She kneels next to the sleeping foe and just stares at her for a moment. A range of mixed emotions flow through her as she looks at Sheffield.

"Help those in need." She mumbles to herself.

'I hope this works. I know he able to do it with Tabitha.' She thinks to herself.

She puts the tips of her fingers on either side of her temple and focuses on Saito.

'Saito, can you hear me?'

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Saito is out surveying his land with Tabitha. They are both riding on Sylphid.

"So, this area marks one side of my land."

"Yes."

'Saito, can you hear me?'

'Tiffa? It's great that you are able to do this too, but you sound distressed.'

'I think that you need to come back home. There is something that you need to see for yourself.'

'Okay?'

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After communicating with Saito, Tiffania takes another good look at Sheffield.

She looks at her wounds and shakes her head.

She touches Sheffield's arm and Sheffield winces.

Tiffa sighs.

She starts using her healing magic to cure the wounds that she can see.

Eleonore watches from the doorway. After a moment, she walks away while shaking her head.

A small smile crosses Tiffa's face as she sees Sheffield's body relax after using some of the healing magic.

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After getting back to the mansion, Aimee lets Tabitha and Saito into the mansion. They are greeted by Siesta. They see Eleonore in the background with a scowl on her face and her arms crossed.

"What is going on?" He asks.

Siesta points at the library.

"I think that you should see for yourself."

"Why the heck is everyone being so secretive about telling me what's going on?" He asks as he walks to the room.

He sees Guinevere at the doorway.

"Because I don't think that you would believe me if I told you." Siesta says to him.

He enters the room to see Tiffania sitting in a chair across from someone laying down on the couch. As he gets close enough to see who it is, he stops dead in his tracks.

"Sheffield." He mutters under his breath.

Tiffa stands up and walks over to him.

"Is she okay?"

"I healed some of the wounds I could see." The half-elf says to him.

"She was so exhausted and out of it that she fell asleep almost instantly. We don't know anything." His maid informs him.

"Thank you, Siesta. Bring a blanket for her. Let's let her sleep, for now. Could you bring me some tea too?"

She nods to him.

His eyes turn dark blue and he takes a gaze at her.

'If this was some kind of trick, then it is a very elaborate one if they went through all of the trouble to make sure that she was dehydrated.' Serena tells him.

'Agreed.' He responds.

He kneels next to her and places a hand over her stomach.

"Hydrate."

Blue sparkles flow from his hand to her.

"At least she won't be thirsty when she awakes."

He gets up and proceeds to sit in the char across from her that Tiffa was sitting in. His rests his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands.

He just stares at her while his thoughts flood his mind.

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In accordance with FF dot net's guidelines, the lemon scenes for this chapter will not be posted on this site, but it will be posted on adult – fanfiction dot o r g.

I can't put a direct link on here because it will get filtered but here is a way to get to it.

It is on the adult (dash) fanfiction.o rg site

When you get there, go to the archives menu and click on anime, then click on the (+. To F) category, then click on 'familiar of zero, the'. You should be able to find it there.

I will post them over the next couple of days – Please be patient.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 50 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	51. Chapter 51: What To Do

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-One

What To Do

Saito had spent part of the night and next morning hearing protests and worries from everyone except Eleonore. Eleonore had not spoken a word to him. He spent a lot of time reassuring everyone else, including Henrietta.

Henrietta had told Saito that she would trust his decision, but she emphasized caution to him. She had also sent Agnes to his mansion out of concern.

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Morning, after breakfast.

Eleonore had taken him off to the side and decided to finally voice her opinion of their new guest.

"I do not approve of her being here. After everything that she has done, especially to my own family, she should be executed." She says angrily to him.

"I figured that is how you would feel, but I do not share your opinion."

She crosses her arms.

"Obviously."

"You know how the runes affected me. Maybe it was worse for her."

"This is different."

"How?"

"How was it different? I can't believe you would even ask me that. Do I really have to go over everything that she has done?"

He puts his hand on his face.

"No, you don't, Eleonore."

"That's right. Because, You, out of everyone, know all too well what she has caused."

"I also know what the influence of the familiar bond is like. You don't."

"You're right, I don't. And, I probably never will understand. This still doesn't change what she has done though. How many people have died because of her? How many times has she tried to kill you? How many times has she went after my sister and you had to intervene?"

She takes a deep breath to try to settle herself down. Then she continues.

"I am trying to understand you, Saito. It's just hard. My feelings are very strong against her, especially because of everything she did to my sister. I don't understand why you keep trying to defend her. I know that you have told me about the familiar bond, but it is hard for me to accept that." She says a little calmer.

"I am sure it is."

"And you suffer nightmares from her actions."

He lets out a sigh.

"Yes, I do. She caused the battle in Albion that I was in." He admits.

"Then try to help me understand this a little more. I need to understand you, especially since you don't even want me telling my mother about this just yet. If you think that I am angry, then she will probably be worse."

"I know, and that is scary, really scary."

They both let out a sigh as they think about how scary Karin really can be.

"The bond wasn't obvious to notice, but it was always there. It was like having a voice in the background that I thought was my own thoughts. Every real thought I had, it added something to it. The bond was trying to sway my every decision and thought in favor of my master. It was even affecting me in battle."

"What do you mean?"

"In battle, my thoughts were being directed only towards my master. It was compelling me to only think about her and no one else."

"Which would be very detrimental when you are in a group."

"Yes. But, it wasn't just in battle that I was being compelled. It was everything I did. It was compelling every action, and every thought that I had towards my master. It was even trying to make me think that I loved her. Every time I disagreed with Louise or thought about being with someone else, then I would get a backlash for it."

Eleonore narrows her eyes as she listens to him and tries to analyze what he is telling her.

"How?"

"I would get a headache, or it would tell me something to redirect my thoughts back to her. When my thoughts went back to her, then the headaches would go away. When I was getting ready to separate myself from her and wanted nothing to do with her, the bond was even causing me to vomit."

"And, you said that have locked the influence away with your new bonds to Tabitha and Tiffania?"

"Yes."

"So, you think that the bond is what caused Sheffield to do everything that she has done."

He nods.

"I do. If the bond was doing everything that it did to me, then it would make sense that she went through the same things. Who knows how long that she had been Josephs familiar. I think that the bonds influence was getting stronger over time. The influence could have been so great on her that she wasn't herself anymore. Plus, I think that he might have done something to her on the side."

"You have mentioned this to me before, when we were in Galia. You mentioned that then, too."

He nods again.

"I noticed her touch a scar on her cheek during one of our battles with her, and she became infuriated right afterward."

"You think that he might have been torturing her on the side as well?"

"Yes, I do. Then that would also enforce whatever the bond was doing to her."

"Alright, Saito. I will go along with this for now. But let me get one thing straight, I will not hesitate to attack her if she gets out of line. Are we clear?"

"I understand."

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Sheffield slowly wakes up and realizes that she is in an unfamiliar bed.

She lifts her head up to see Saito sitting in a chair across the room she was in and Agnes standing next to the doorway.

She stiffens up when she sees Agnes.

"Relax. You're safe. Unless you decide to attack us." He says to her.

The smell of food fills her nostrils as she looks over to the plate of food sitting on the table next to Saito.

"We have a lot to talk about, but I can wait a little bit longer for that. First, eat, and then bathe."

"Really?" She asks out of surprise.

'I would not have expected this kind of treatment if he were Joseph.'

"Yes, really. I want to treat you well . . . "

"But we aren't exactly on good terms." She finishes.

He nods.

"She will be following you, and watching over you." He says as he motions to Agnes.

Agnes gives her a cold stare.

"Captain Agnes." Sheffield states.

"That is correct. For both of our sakes, don't do anything foolish." She says to Sheffield.

"We took away some of things that were on you for safety purposes, including your cloak."

"I understand, and . . . . . thank you . . . for your hospitality." She says softly and humbly to them.

He gets out of his seat and walks over to her with the plate of food and she stares at it hungrily. Her mouth was watering just from smelling and seeing it. She had not had eaten well since she was with Joseph.

As he gives her the plate and she sets it in her lap, she gives him an inquisitive look.

"May I ask a question?"

"What is that?"

"I know I wasn't exactly in sound mind, but I remember being quite parched. Did I drink and not remember?"

"I used my water abilities to quench your body."

"Thank you. You are too kind" She says to him.

"You're welcome. Tiffania, a half-elf will also be coming here to help heal your wounds. She healed some of them yesterday, but she didn't get all of them."

She nods to him.

As he exits the room, she instantly starts scarfing down the food in front of her.

'What has she gone through?' Agnes thinks to herself as she watches her eat.

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After Sheffield finishes eating, Tiffania enter the room.

She has a soft look about her.

"You must be the one he said was coming to heal my wounds, Tiffania."

Tiffania nods.

I was able to get to some of them yesterday, but we weren't going to disturb you too much an order to get the rest.

"You did fine. Only my arm aches at this point, but that is because I had fallen on it pretty badly."

"Let me look you over just in case."

"You are too kind, but I am fine. The treatment that I have received so far has been beyond my comprehension."

"Saito and I are very kind people and he wanted to make sure that you were treated as well as possible."

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"I don't suppose I could have some privacy?"

"I don't trust you enough to let you be alone just yet."

She gets a disappointed look on her face.

"I understand."

She starts undressing to get into the bath that had been made for her.

Agnes tries to hide her shock and surprise that she has when Sheffield undresses.

As she undresses, the scars that are all over her body become revealed to Agnes.

Siesta walks into the bathroom with a fresh set of clothes of clothes and stops dead in her tracks.

Sheffield hears her lightly gasp at the sight of her scars.

"Please, don't stare." She simply says to Agnes and Siesta.

"I am sorry. I wasn't expecting to see all of those scars." The maid says apologetically.

Sheffield sinks herself into the tub.

"These aren't anything very fancy, but I have these clothes for you. Your other ones are dirty and tattered."

"I guess that I don't really have a choice then, now do I?" Sheffield asks.

"Unless you really want to put them back on like the way they are."

"These will be fine for now, I guess."

Siesta nods her head and walks away with the old clothes.

'I should tell Saito about those scars.' She thinks to herself as she walks away.

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"She had scars all over body when she had taken off her clothes."

"I thought that she might have had some scars, but I never realized it would be quite that extensive." He says to her.

"Her clothes conveniently hid every last one of them except for the one on her face."

He starts rubbing his chin.

"I wonder if all of those were caused by Joseph."

"That would be terrible if he did. I am not an expert, but some of the scars looked like they were pretty old."

"Unless he had her as a familiar for a really long time, then you're saying that she could have gotten those scars before her time with Joseph."

"You had a life and a past before you became a familiar. She must have one too."

"It might not have been a pretty one either."

Siesta nods while having a sad look on her face.

"I am not a fan of hers, Saito, but I hope you can do something for her if she really has had a bad past. I hate to think of the idea of anyone going through anything like that. I wouldn't have had a very good life being with Count Mott if it wasn't for the fact that you came to save me."

He gives her a kiss.

"I am glad I did that. Hopefully I find out about her past while she is here. We will just have to see what comes out of this. Thank you for telling me about this."

She nods.

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After bathing and putting on the simple clothes that Siesta had given her, she was in the library with Saito. Tabitha was also in the room with them and Agnes was leaning against the wall near the doorway.

Sheffield was sitting on the couch and Saito and Tabitha were sitting in chars across from her.

"As I said before, I have a lot of questions for you, but maybe a lot of those will be answered as you tell me how and why you are here. We had figured you were dead, but now you are here."

She nods to him.

"After you had left, I was ready to die with Joseph. He was dying and I had wanted nothing more than to just be there and die with him. I wanted to die with my master. I was going to kiss him before I exploded the orb, but he had stopped me."

"Why would he stop you?" He asks.

"He hadn't kissed me since the day I became his familiar."

"How long ago was that, if I may ask?"

"Four years ago."

Saito's eyes go wide in shock.

"I hated how he had never returned my feelings despite anything I ever did for him. He was a cold man though, and he always said how he was unfeeling. What surprised me is what he had said to me when I asked why he still wouldn't return my feelings."

"What did he say?" Tabitha asks.

"He said that my love wasn't real and that is was the bond making me feel that way. I didn't want to believe him, but it went along with what you were trying to tell me, Saito."

His eyes go wide again.

"You mean that he knew?"

"How could he have known?" Tabitha asks him.

"It must have been because of what he had found in an old cottage. He said that he had come across a cottage somewhere. He said that the person that had lived there was a researcher and he came across stuff about the familiar bond, but he had never told me what he found."

"Why did he tell you that? If you two were about to die, why would he even bother?"

"He said that you went through an awful lot of trouble to try and save me. I think that you had somehow gotten to him during that last battle. After he told me that, he cast a spell on me and a weird document appeared that he signed and my familiar bond was gone."

"He knew the spell?" Saito asks in surprise.

"Do you know about the spell?" Sheffield asks him.

"That spell was used on me to break me away from Louise."

"So, that is what happened to you."

Both him and Tabitha nod.

"After had had cast that on me, and before I passed out, he told me to only kiss the person that I wanted to be a familiar to."

"That's because the spell only resets the bonding process. How did you get away though? I didn't see anyone leave the ship before it blew up."

"I woke up laying on the ground, and under a tree. My cloak was wrapped up around me."

"So, he must have wrapped you up in it and lowered you down."

She nods.

"I wandered around aimlessly for a couple of days in a confused state. I had done a lot of thinking those first couple of days and I came to the realization that everything that you were trying to tell me was right. I can't believe that I had never picked up on it before."

"It was hard for me to realize it too. I had to be told too. Why did you come here though? I was your enemy. I could have had you killed on the spot."

'I think that I already know where she is going to go with this.' Tabitha thinks to herself.

"I was hoping that your kindness would even expand out to me. You tried to spare people even when you were in Galia and hunting down joseph."

'His kindness precedes himself.' Agnes muses.

"After thinking about for a while, I had wanted to come here. This was the only place I could go to. You were the only one that I felt would even welcome me. You were the only one that had tried to save me despite the fact that I was your enemy. You showed me kindness. I traveled over a week to get to here. It was hard. I didn't have my powers to help me. I had to avoid people, and I had gotten attacked by animals in the forest. Running on very little sleep, food, and water, coming here was the only thought that was able to drive me on."

"How did you even know to come here? He hasn't even been here for long." Tabitha asks.

"News about a new lord, especially when the new lord is Saito, travels fast. I had overheard some people talking about it and I headed here."

"Was there another reason why you are here?" Tabitha asks.

I came here because I want you to become my master. I want to be your familiar.

Saito pauses for a moment and Agnes stares in shock.

After staring for a long moment, he remembers to breath.

"That is a lot to ask of me considering everything that has happened."

"I know that, but I don't want to be a familiar to anyone else."

He looks at Tabitha.

"Can I even have a familiar when I am a familiar myself?"

She shrugs.

"It's unheard of, but I don't see why you can't. You can cast magic too." Tabitha says to him.

He looks at Sheffield again.

"I hope you realize that I can't just give you an answer right now. I need to think about this and discuss it with everyone."

Agnes grits her teeth.

'Everyone?' Sheffield wonders.

She nods at him.

"I understand. I expected you to say that." She says to him.

"Let us take things day by day. I have a lot to think about and a lot that can affected by my decision. We also need to see that we can trust you."

Sheffield nods disappointedly.

'I guess I had that coming considering I was their enemy."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 51 of my story.

Sorry about the delays on the lemon scenes from last chapter. I am hopefully going to be able to release them over the next couple of days on the other site. – Thank you for your patience.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	52. Chapter 52: Inner Turmoil

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-Two

Inner Turmoil

Shortly after her initial talk with Saito, Sheffield had asked to meet with him, Tabitha, Agnes, and Eleonore. They are all in the Library again.

"So, why did you specifically ask for the four of us?" Agnes asks.

"I know that all of you are very skeptical of me right now. So, I figured out something that I could give to you to show my good faith."

Eleonore crosses her arms.

'This ought to be interesting.' The eldest Valliere daughter muses to herself.

"What is it that you have for us?" Saito asks.

Tabitha just gives Sheffield her usual stare.

"I am willing to give to you names of conspirators in your respective countries so that you can eliminate their influence."

Tabitha's expression changes to that of surprise.

"I can give you names of people in Galia, Tristan, and yes, Albion."

"You're saying that Joseph's influence is still in Albion." Eleonore asks.

"Surely you didn't think that it was completely gone, did you?"

"But there was all of those assassinations." Eleonore points out to Sheffield.

"Yes. I know. I enacted those for Joseph, but that doesn't mean that everyone was eliminated."

Agnes raises an eyebrow after hearing that Sheffield committed the assassinations.

"And, surely, you have to realize that there is still a lot of Joseph's influence still in Galia. His control is widespread. There are members strategically placed in many of the armies, and I am sure that many others are just keeping quiet because he is now dead."

"And you say that there is still influence in Tristan as well?" Agnes asks for clarification.

"Yes. There are even a couple spies over in Germania."

"I will have to get those names to Kirche." Saito mumbles while holding his chin.

"How are we supposed to trust this information." Agnes asks skeptically.

Sheffield just shrugs.

"From your point of view, there is no reason to trust me, but do you have any other options? Can you really take the risk of not believing me? By following these lists and investigating each person thoroughly, then you will find out for yourselves."

Tabitha sits at the desk and gets out a quill and paper.

"Then let's begin, Sheffield." Tabitha says to her.

"Sheffield." Elenore say to get her attention.

Sheffield looks at Eleonore.

"Thank you very much for this."

"You're welcome, Eleonore."

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After getting the list for Tristan, Agnes speaks with Saito just outside of the library.

"I wish to leave, but I don't want to leave her unguarded." Agnes says to Saito worriedly.

He puts a hand on her shoulder and gives her a kiss.

"I think it will be alright. Aimee and Guinevere are here, and it's not like we are defenseless."

"I know. I just worry."

"And that is what makes you, you." He says with a smile.

She gives him a smile back.

"Alright. Please take care of yourself and be careful." She says to him.

"And you as well."

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Eleonore and Tabitha had also left after getting their lists as well, after some reassurance from Saito.

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"Those list lists will be unbelievably helpful, Sheffield."

"I told you that I wanted to give you something to prove myself to you."

"That was definitely a way to do that."

"Thank you, Master Saito."

He holds up a finger.

"Let's not start that yet. I am not your master right now, and even if you do end up becoming my servant, I DO NOT want you to refer to me as master."

"That will not be easy to do."

"I don't want to be referred to like that."

"I will do my best."

"Other than that, I have some very important things to ask you."

"What may that be?" She asks.

"What kind of life have you had with Joseph? What was your life like before you became his familiar?"

"I have always had a master. Joseph was the first one I have been a familiar to, but he was not my first master. I have served under a master for as long as I can think of. I don't remember anything of a real family. The closest thing that came to that was when I was out in public with one of my first master. Out in public he would treat me like his daughter, but then it was back to normal when we were alone."

'That's sad.' He thinks to himself.

"How many have you had other than Joseph?"

"Three. The third had killed my second master and had taken me."

"Have you had any good masters?"

"I am not entirely sure what would be considered a good master. If you are asking if any of them were like you, then the answer is no."

"What kinds of things did you have to do for them?"

"I have done all kinds of things. I have done things like labor, but I was I really useful in anything that used my mind. I have learned a lot about political relations and bookkeeping. I was also used as a guinea pig for experiments with one of my masters. I am not sure how those experiments have affected me though. Some of them, I would rather forget."

He cringes from the thought of what she might be implying.

"Have you always obeyed your master's orders?"

She turns her head to look away from him as a flood of memories come back to her.

"There were always repercussions If I didn't obey, or . . . . . if I failed my tasks."

'I can tell that this is starting to become uncomfortable for her, but I have to know.'

"Is that how you got all of those scars?"

She tries to cover her arms out of shame. She can't hide them very well with the shirt she was given.

She gives a nod.

"I know that you might not want to answer this, but what kinds of repercussions?"

"I have received many kinds of punishment. I have been whipped, beaten, walled, water torture, and I have even been put in isolation.

She clutches herself tightly.

"I don't like being alone the dark. Please don't do that to me." She admits to him.

"Don't worry, Sheffield, I won't do that to you."

He could see the relief she felt from that answer as she seems to relax a little.

"Going back to Joseph, what was it like having him as a master?"

"He was a cold person. He didn't exhibit too many feelings. He had me do many errands for him. Some of those errands included overseeing the quests that he had Tabitha take care of. The greatest uses of my talents was when he had me infiltrate the government of Albion with Reconquista. I had governed Albion for a short while until you had taken on the army."

"Now here is my next biggest question. How do you personally feel about the feelings that the bond was causing you to have? And, what about all of the tasks and crimes that you have committed while under you masters?"

She takes a large breath and releases it.

He can tell that her heartbeat has increased by the quickened pace of her blood-flow.

"I had thought a lot about some of that during the past week and a half since I had left his side. I feel violated and betrayed by my own thoughts. I don't know what to believe what was real and what wasn't. Everything has been so chaotic for me ever since the bond was broken. I did so much for him out of what I thought was love, but that was all fake."

"People do things that they wouldn't normally do in the name of love."

"Everything I did was for my master. It was all to gain his love and affection. I even accepted all of my punishments because I had thought that I deserved it for my failures."

"But that was just the bond speaking so that you wouldn't lose your feelings for your master."

He could see the agitation and the insecurity going on inside of her through the fidgeting of her hands and the increased fiddling with her hair.

"So how do you feel about your actions?" He asks again.

"It's been hard for me to focus on that. I had lived for my masters. Everything was always for my masters. I had learned not to think much past that. The will of my master was my will as well."

"This is something very important that I need to know. You are your own person now. You are able to think for yourself now."

"Myself?"

He nods.

"I'll give you some time to think about your answer to me."

She lets out a heavy sigh as he walks away from her and leaves her in the library.

He has Guinevere watch over her while he takes care of a couple things and spends time with Tiffania.

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Dinner.

"Seems a little quieter today with some of the other gone." Siesta says while she hands out the platefuls of food.

"I agree." Tiffania says.

"This meal looks really good Siesta. I can tell that you must put a lot of pride into your cooking." Sheffield says to the maid.

"And love." Siesta adds.

"May I have some wine with this though? I am used to drinking wine with my meals." Sheffield asks.

Siesta looks to Saito.

"I guess you probably did develop a taste for that. I am sure that Joseph probably didn't drink just water or juice with his meals."

She shakes her head.

He gives Siesta a nod and she goes to get a bottle for Sheffield.

After she comes back and pours a glass for Sheffield, she gives Sheffield a smile."

"Thank for the compliment on the meal by the way."

"You're welcome, Siesta."

"And, by the way, if you really want your clothes back, they will be dry by the time we are done eating dinner. The weather has been nice today, and Tiffania mended them as best as she could."

"Thank you both." She says with a little bit of surprise.

"I would have actually preferred something different, but I wasn't sure how partial to that outfit you are right now." He says to her.

"That outfit covers me up properly." Sheffield admits.

'She seems really self-conscious about those scars of hers. I hate to think of it, but she is really going to have to deal with a lot of deep rooted scars.' He thinks worriedly to himself.

Sheffield goes through the first glass of wine rather quickly and Siesta pours another one for her.

"Would you like to take a walk with me sometime after dinner, Sheffield?"

Before she could even speak up, Saito interrupts Sheffield.

"I'm sorry, but you know that she can't do that."

"But I thought that some fresh air would be good for her."

"I know, Tiffa, but you know she can't exactly leave the mansion. If anyone recognized her, then all kinds of trouble would happen. People would probably come here looking for her head."

Tiffania pouts and her ears lower downward a little.

Sheffield also gets a slightly disappointed look on her face as well.

Sheffield drinks a couple more glasses of wine by the time dinner finishes.

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In the evening, Aimee had pulled Saito aside to give him a report on Sheffield.

"Not that she has done anything wrong, but she has been acting . . . odd." She says to him.

"Odd?"

She nods.

"Her behavior has seemed growingly erratic as the evening has progressed. I've seen her sighing a lot and holding her head a lot. She has even gone through fazes of pacing as well, but then other times, I've caught her just staring off into the distance."

He rubs his chin.

'She must be thinking about what I had told her earlier. It has to be a lot to deal with.'

"Thank you for telling me about this."

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In the secret room in the basement.

Henrietta had come through the mirror with Agnes and they had been discussing some the things that had happened since he last saw the Queen. Eventually the topic of the list came up.

"I can't believe some of the names on this list. I never would have suspected some of these people." Henrietta tells him.

"These are the names that she gave us. Now we understand why a couple of the nobles were against me giving you aid when you were in Galia."

He nods in agreement.

"These lists are going to make the kingdoms more secure." Agnes adds.

"So, what are your plans?" He asks the Queen.

"We are going to start taking care of business tomorrow. Agnes and I privately discussed how we are going to act on this list. We didn't discuss it with anyone else because we didn't want it leaking out. We are going to get together the knights and her musketeer squadron and grab all of the culprits swiftly and all at once."

He gives her a nod.

"Are you going to need my help."

She shakes her head.

"We should be able to take of this on our own. Besides, you have Sheffield here."

"How about I at least send Aimee and Guinevere."

"They should stay here." Agnes adamantly says.

"Agnes, I know that you are very skeptical of her, but I don't think that she is going to be a problem. She did give us those lists, and she has behaved herself so far."

"I guess this is true. And they would be useful tomorrow. They are very competent."

"Are you sure about her?" Henrietta asks.

"Yes. She has a lot to think about and sort out in her head, but I am certain that she isn't the same person that she was."

"Very well then. I am still going to trust your judgement for now. Have Aimee and Guinevere head out in the morning."

He nods and then she gives him a goodnight kiss. When she is done giving him the kiss, she shoves Agnes into him, nearly causing them to fall.

They both look back to Henrietta.

"What was that for?" Agnes asks in an annoyed tone.

Henrietta waves her and has a big grin on her face.

"Here is a thank you for the list. I will check on you two in a little while." She says to them and then quickly dashes back into the mirror."

Agnes' jaw drops.

Saito puts a hand to his face.

They both eventually look at each other and then turn bright red.

'I don't know whether to be happy about this or angry with her for forcing this onto me like the way she did.' Agnes thinks.

"I . . . will be right back . . . I guess. After I tell your two comrades about leaving in the morning."

*Hmph*

"Try not to take too long. If we are going to do this, then I want my full time with you."

He quickly dashes off.

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In the morning.

Saito had walked out of his room and had checked to see if the musketeers had left already, and they had.

He walks towards Sheffield's room and he hears rustling.

Then he hears frustrated growls coming from her room and then he hears thumping around.

'Oh, no! Is she getting attacked.'

Just as he opens her door, there is a loud crash.

He looks inside and gets a closer look.

Her room is littered with her clothes. The clothes are all torn up, as if she had ripped them apart. There is also an empty bottle of wine on the floor. The chair by the vanity in her room was lying on the floor with shattered mirror parts all around it.

She was only wearing a pair of underwear and Saito can finally see more of the scars that he had been told about.

Because of the glass shattering, she didn't hear him enter the room.

She picks up one of the larger shards and points it towards herself.

He rushes towards her and gets behind her. He manages to grab her wrists before she stabs herself with it.

"No! Don't stop me!" She screams frantically to him.

They struggle for a moment, but then he uses his powers to make his hands ice cold.

She drops the shard, and starts crying. Blood drips from her hands where she had gripped the shard.

Tiffania had rushed out of her room and rushed over to the doorway.

Hearing the screams, Siesta had also came to the doorway.

Sheffield and Saito lower to the ground with him still holding her from behind.

"Let me do this! I can't take this! The guilt is overwhelming!"

"I can't let you do that."

"Why? Why can't you let me do this? I don't deserve to live!"

"You can't talk like that."

"I did what you told me to do! I thought about the things I've done and I shouldn't even be allowed to live! Other people would have been executed for the things I've done."

"We're not going to do that."

She turns slightly toward him. Her breasts press against his chest and she closer to his face. Tears stream down her face, her eyes are red with bags under them, and she is also shaking.

"Then make me your familiar. Become my master so that I don't have to think for myself. Let me serve you so that I don't have to face this anymore."

"I can't do that either. Not until you face your past. You need to be of sound mind before we can move on. The bond is strong, and you know that. I don't want what happened to you before to happen again."

"Then what if I just kiss you anyways?"

"Unless you want me to hate you, and possibly even turn you away, then you won't do that."

She Leans her head into his chest and cries loudly and profusely.

Tiffania and Siesta also shed quiet tears after hearing her.

He cradles her and gently rocks with her.

'I think that you should put her to sleep, Saito.' Serena advises him.

His eyes glow blue and he lets out a breath that is a mist. The mist reaches her and she quickly falls asleep.

The others come into the room after she falls asleep in his arms and they help get her into the bed.

'Did I do the right thing by telling her to deal with her past?'

'Yes, you did. She needs to deal with her past so that she can move on.' Zephira says to him.

"I wish we had the kind of doctors here that she would need from my world. I can't give her the help she needs."

Tiffania and Siesta wrap their arms around his in a comforting manner.

"We will just have to give her what we can. I am sure everything will be okay, Saito."

"How can you be so sure, Tiffania?"

She touches his chest.

"She has fought just as hard as you have been for her sake. I am sure that she can pull through this with all of our help."

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The lemon scene from this chapter will be posted sometime this week.

The previous lemon scenes from chapter 50 have been posted to the other site

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 51 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	53. Chapter 53: Bath Sanctuary

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-Three

Bath Sanctuary

Later, during the afternoon hours.

Sheffield opens her eyes to find Siesta sitting at the side of her bed. Siesta hasn't noticed that she has awoken yet.

Then she looks up and sees that her room is virtually empty except for the bed, a small table, and a couple of chairs.

Siesta wipes a tear from her eye.

She slowly sits up, hugging the blanket to herself to keep covered.

"Good afternoon, Sheffield."

"So, was that a tear of pity? I don't need it."

Siesta narrows her eyes and glares at Sheffield.

"First off, you could have at least said hello before being so rude, and that tear was actually for Saito."

Sheffield gets a perplexed look on her face.

"Why, because he has to deal with me?" Sheffield says snarkly.

She shakes her head.

"That's not exactly it, Sheffield. It is because, even with what he deals with that you caused, he is trying so hard to help you."

"I still don't understand you. What do you mean?"

Siesta gives a huff.

"He suffers all the time from what you caused in Albion. But yet, he still had the courage to move on. You are the source of his pain, and I bet that having you around will be a constant reminder to him of what happened."

"How could he still be suffering from that? That has been over and done with for a while now."

"He killed thousands of innocent people because of the mind control that you had put on those people. He suffers nightmares because of that. He hurts inside from it, but he still chose to carry on. He carries those deaths and those memories with him."

Sheffield's mouth partially opens out of shock.

"So, that tear was for him. It was for his bravery, and his courage to keep moving on. And it was for his heart of gold to help that person that has caused him so many problems."

The room becomes silent for a moment.

"I didn't know. Why didn't he tell me? Why would he even want me around? I was his . . no . . everyone's enemy. I would normally have been killed for everything that I've done. If he was Joseph, then he surely would have killed me."

Siesta glares at her for comparing to joseph

"He is NOTHING like Joseph! He has a heart of gold. He knows how the runes can affect a person's thoughts. You were our enemy, but he kept questioning it as soon as he found out that you were a familiar as well. He didn't want to kill you if you were just a victim of the runes' control. He probably didn't want to tell you because he probably didn't want to burden you with his problems as well, but I couldn't hold it back. Maybe you needed to know. Maybe you needed to know that someone other than you, is suffering. He has chosen to live with the sins of killing those people. If he can live with his and your sins, then maybe you can too."

Sheffield's demeanor calms down as she thinks about Saito and how he suffers from her actions.

'My presence must be killing him, but yet he is trying so hard to help me.' The former foe thinks to herself.

"I'm sorry, Siesta, I was rude to you, and . . . thank you . . . for telling me."

Siesta nods to her.

"Just don't make me regret telling you."

"So, I take it that everything was removed in case I tried to kill myself again?"

The maid nods.

"That is also why I am here. He wants you under constant watch for now."

"I guess I deserve that for what I tried."

"Are you okay, Sheffield?" Siesta asks in a caring tone.

"No. I am not. Everything is going around in circles in my head. But, don't worry. I am going to be a good girl from now on."

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A couple days later.

Saito, Tabitha, and Eleonore were in the library.

"My mother will be personally taking the list to my father."

"Well, I guess it is pretty certain that the list is not going to be intercepted before it gets to him. I would feel bad for anyone that tries." Saito says with a chuckle.

"I couldn't agree more." Eleonore adds.

"What about your list?" Saito asks the blue-haired princess.

"She will be leaving for Galia tomorrow morning. Lord Conradin will be escorting her." Eleonore answers for Tabitha.

She gets a glum look on her face.

"Why so down?" Saito asks.

"She is going to be heading to Galia shortly herself." Eleonore answers for her.

"But I don't want to leave yet. I want you to come with me, but I know you can't yet. You have issues here to handle." Tabitha adds.

"Speaking of her, how has she been? She hasn't caused trouble, has she?" Eleonore asks.

"She tried to commit suicide the other morning."

Both Eleonore and Tabitha get a surprised look.

"What!" Eleonore shouts.

"I was forcing her to think about her actions and how she felt about them. She did that. She must have stayed up the whole time on the night that you two had left. She had also drank a lot of wine. The next morning there was a loud crash and I ran in to find her clutching a piece of mirror and was about to stab herself. I managed to stop her just in time though"

"I wasn't expecting her to do that." States Eleonore.

"Were you expecting her to be cold about it?" Asks Saito.

After shifting her glasses, Eleonore looks at him.

"Yes." Is her answer to him.

"How has she been since?"

"After a conversation with Siesta, she hasn't tried anything else. She has gone through some mood swings. She has also gone through periods of restlessness and then to the other extreme of being docile."

"Could it all be an act?" Tabitha asks.

He shakes his head.

"Unless she is a supreme actor, then no. I don't think it was an act. She was way too emotional during that outburst for it to have been fake. Unfortunately, it also makes sense in another way. Her whole life, she has always been a servant and trained to be obedient."

"I suppose that would make it difficult to accept life if all she did was do as she was told." Logically taking in the situation, Eleonore intuitively says this.

He takes a deep breath and then lets it out.

"You both told me that you are going along with my decisions, but I know that the both of you have strong feelings about her. Do you two still hold grudges against her? I need to know how you are truly feeling before I make a decision on whether or not to let her be my familiar."

"I am not going to say that it is easy for me. I have had a hate for her from the beginning. She was the cause of my sister being kidnapped and used against us."

"But, that was under the order of her master."

"That is true, but she was still the one that acted out that order." Eleonore retorts back.

She takes off her glasses and rubs her nose.

"I have been struggling with her presence. I have been trying to see things from your point of view and that has proven to be very challenging. Perhaps it would be easier if my family had not been on the receiving end of her attacks. I will say though, hearing about her attempted suicide actually makes me feel a little better. I know that sounds terrible and please don't judge me wrongly for saying that. It shows how guilty she feels over doing the tasks that she has done. I would have had an even harder time accepting her if she was cold about the whole thing and it didn't affect her at all. The list was also a good offering. Hopefully it really does prove to be useful."

"I can understand that, Eleonore. Thank you."

She nods to him.

"What about you, Tabitha. You have probably had the most contact with her. She was the one to give you some of your orders and you have had to report to her at times as well. You have been very accepting of my decision to help her, but you have been very quiet. I know it might not be easy, but I need you to tell me how you feel as well."

"When she was an enemy, I . . . hated seeing her. Seeing her reminded me of my own dire situation, but she was not the source of my anger and entrapment. Joseph was the source. He sent me on those impossible missions. He was the reason why my mother was in the state that she was in. He is gone now and I have my mother back."

"So how do you feel about her now?"

"My concern is how she is going to be once she has become your familiar. I don't want her getting in the way of your relationships."

"That is a very good point, Tabitha." Points out Eleonore.

Saito nods in agreement.

"I would have to keep her in check."

"I am with Eleonore on this one as well. Seeing her guilt and getting the list has affected my opinion of her. I would stand by your decision if you accept her."

"Thank you, Tabitha."

"What will you do with her though? People will recognize her if you take her out into the public." Worriedly adds Eleonore.

"I have been thinking about that a lot as well. And I did come up with a possible solution."

Both of the women in the room look at him inquisitively.

"As long as if she can accept it as well, then she is going to get a makeover and an identity change. She would still have to have her face hidden, but at least she wouldn't be so easily recognized."

"You will still have to be very careful."

"I understand your concern, Eleonore."

*knock, knock, knock*

"Yes?" Saito replies.

Siesta opens the door. She has a panicked look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"We have guests. Some of the other students are here from the academy to visit."

"Shit! Where is Sheffield?"

"I think that she is upstairs in Tiffania's room. They were tending to her plants together."

He lets out a deep breath.

"Okay, I will handle her. Why don't you greet them for me, Tabitha?"

She nods and they take off.

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"Hello, Tabitha!" Kirche happily says to her friend.

Everyone else says that was with her says hi to Tabitha as well.

Kirche gives her a big hug.

"We wanted to come see you and your new home. It's good to see you and Siesta, but where is Tiffania and Saito?" says Montmorency.

"And my sister." Adds Louise.

"Yes. We also decided to grace you with our presence as well." Says Guiche with his usual flare and waving around his rose.

Reynold shakes his head back and forth.

Another carriage is seen riding toward them. They could easily tell that it was the Queen's. A handful of musketeers were on horseback as well.

The carriage rides up and Agnes lets her out.

Everyone else bows to her.

"My, oh my. It is quite a full house today it seems."

"What brings you here, your Highness?" Tabitha asks politely.

'Even though some people might know by now, it is still good to keep this up for now.' Tabitha thinks.

She also informs Saito who is here.

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Saito and Sheffield moved to her room while the guests were there.

'Saito, we have a problem.'

'What is it Tiffania?"

'Everyone decided that they wanted to enjoy the hot springs bath that you had set up. So, we need you to keep the boys busy.'

'That is a bit of a problem with the fact that all of you, including Aimee and Guinevere, are in the bath. If I leave, then that would leave Sheffield by herself.'

Sheffield could see Saito get a stressed look on his face from where he is sitting in one of the chairs.

'What if I come up there and sit with her?' Tiffania asks him.

'No, you should be down there with them as well. I am sure that they want to see you too.'

He lets out a sigh.

"Is something wrong?" Sheffield asks him from her bed.

"I need to go downstairs, but I don't want to leave you either."

"Then go. I promise that I will stay in here."

"I don't know about that."

"I know that you don't have very much trust in me right now, but I will be good and stay right in here in my room. Just . . . . don't forget about me." She says the last part with a little angst.

"Alright, Sheffield. I am going to put my full trust in you. Please don't let me down."

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Outside, all of the girls are in the bath while Saito keeps Guiche, Reynold and Malicorne occupied.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to be in here?" Siesta sheepishly asks.

Aimee and Guinevere nod their heads in agreement. They aren't used to being in this kind of situation with the Queen.

"Saito said that where he comes from, that hot springs baths are places free from boundary."

The tension settles a little bit from Henrietta saying that.

"Besides, we are all girls in here, right?" Kirche adds.

'Too bad we couldn't have Saito in here with us.' Some of the girls think.

Eleonore looks a little smug amongst the bunch of them.

"So, how is everything here?" Louise asks her eldest sister.

"Yes, how is everything here? I never thought that a Valliere would be here at Saito's place." Kirche asks a little more slyly.

Eleonore's eye twitches slightly from the innuendo from the person from a rival family.

"Saito, my family, and I made business arrangements. He has become quite the friend of the family. And, things are going quite well here."

"You know, I have also heard that hot springs are also good for the skin." Henrietta says to everyone.

"Ooooo." Some of the girls respond and then instantly checking their skin.

"I think that you might be right. I think my skin is already starting to feel a little silkier." Montmorency says in response.

'Really?' Tiffania thinks as she sinks herself a little lower into the hot springs.

As others start little conversations, Kirche slides herself over to Tabitha and Sylphid.

"So, Tabitha, have you broke in the new house and had sex with him yet?"

Sylphid overhears her asking Tabitha that and nods her head up and down vigorously.

Tabitha blushes vigorously and slightly hides herself in the water.

Kirche gets a gloriously happy smile and pokes at her friend.

"You have to tell me the details."

Tabitha vigorously shakes her head back and forth.

"You're no fun."

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Eventually, and after some breast size comparing, all of the classmates leave, and Siesta helps Tiffania up to her room to cool off from overheating in the hot springs.

While Henrietta spends time with Saito, Eleonore and Agnes decided to enjoy a much quieter time in the hot springs without so many people around. They had both gotten out much earlier than everyone else.

Sheffield had seen Eleonore starting to walk past her room.

"Miss Valliere!"

Eleonore's head quickly turns to Sheffield with slight annoyance on her face.

"How can I help you?"

"Are you going out to the springs?"

"Yes, I was. I was trying to get there quickly so I could enjoy as much as I could."

"Could I please go with you? I was hoping that I could somehow enjoy it too."

What Henrietta had said runs through her head as she looks at Sheffield before answering.

'The hot springs are free from boundary.' She thinks to herself.

Her demeanor calms and she lets out a sigh.

"I am sure that it will be okay if I go with you, but you must cover up until we get there. I am also letting you know that Agnes, captain of the musketeers is also going to be there."

Sheffield gets a worried look on her face.

"Then maybe I shouldn't go."

"Unless you do something to provoke her, then you shouldn't worry. She does know about your presence here along with the queen."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you want to go or not?"

She nods.

Then get ready, it will just be us older girls then."

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While with the Queen in the library.

"Most of the arrests went quickly and smoothly. One of them tried to flee and ended up being killed in the process. Investigations are currently being done and all of their homes are being searched for evidence."

"That is great news. This should alleviate a lot of problems now."

She nods in agreement.

"Has Sheffield been doing better since her last incident?"

"She has been doing a lot better. She has behaving quite well here. She has really good manners. I can't believe the life that she has had."

"So, are you sure about her?"

He nods.

"I want to see her emotions get a little more stable, but I am pretty sure about her."

"I just want you to make sure that you are certain about what you are doing. There is a long road ahead if you keep her around."

"It might be a short road for her if I don't."

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The three older women of the group sink into the hot springs.

For a while, the atmosphere is tense and quiet.

Eleonore decides to break the tension.

"Let us remember that this bath is like a sanctuary. Let us be friendly to each other."

Agnes reluctantly nods and Sheffield gives a nod in agreement.

"This bath feels really great on my aching muscles."

"This is . . . very . . . calming on my nerves. Thank you for letting me come in here with you two." Sheffield quietly says.

Eleonore gives her a nod in response.

"Not to mention, you finally get to have some fresh air." Adds Eleonore.

"I know that it might not mean much, but I am sorry to have caused so much trouble for all of you. Especially you, miss Valliere."

This catches Agnes and Eleonore by surprise and Agnes pauses in shock for a moment.

Eleonore turns her attention completely to Sheffield.

"I know that you can't possibly like me very much, and I can't blame you for being angry at me. I am grateful that you haven't tried to kill me yet. I hope that I can rectify things over time."

"Eleonore." Eleonore states to her.

"Huh?"

"We are in a sanctuary here in the bath and you may call me Eleonore. I am grateful for your apology."

"I guess you may refer to me by name as well. As long as if there is no one else around other than the people that are here." Agnes adds.

"Thank you both. That really means a lot to me."

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After Agnes, and Henrietta had left.

Saito decides to check on his latest guest.

"May I come in Sheffield?"

"Yes, you may."

He opens the door and goes inside of her room. She is only wearing a robe.

She walks up to him. Her face has a slightly glum look on it.

"Are you alright?"

"I was wondering how long I am going to have to wait for your decision. I have been good, haven't I? I would make sure I am very useful to you as your familiar. I would do anything you need me to. Or are you holding off because you need something more physical from me?" She says very emotionally and erratically.

She drops her robe, revealing all of herself to him.

She looks away from him.

"Or is this body not good enough for you? Can you not stand to look at me? Am I not beautiful enough for you? I see how beautiful the other women in this house are."

He takes a big gulp and a deep breath to gain bearing on the situation.

Then he picks up the robe and puts it back over her shoulders.

Placing a hand on her chin, he makes her look at him. Tears are in her eyes.

"That is not what I am looking for from you. You are very beautiful though,"

"You are not horrified or driven away by my scars?"

He shakes his head.

"I want you to regain yourself. Remember? You need to calm your mind and you need to start being more of yourself and not just a servant to me. You have been very good lately. You even stayed in your room when I had all of those guests here. Keep it up, Sheffield."

He gives her a heartfelt hug.

This initially catches her off guard.

'I have never gotten this kind of treatment before.' She thinks to herself as tears start streaming down her face.

"Thank you so much, Saito."

"Your welcome."

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After leaving Sheffield, He decides to check on Tiffania.

She was lying in bed with her robe completely open and revealing her very large chest.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just barged in."

"It's okay, dear. I don't mind being naked in front of you." She says with a blush.

"Are you sure that you're okay from earlier?"

"I have had plenty of time to cool off. Why don't you come here and spend some time with me. You've spent a lot of time with everyone else today except me."

"Alright." He says as he walks over to the bed and sits on it.

She lays her head on his lap.

He starts massaging her long, elf ears.

She instantly starts moaning and her legs begin to fidget from the pleasure she is feeling.

"Oh, my goodness. Saito, what are you up to?"

"I was looking at your ears and I wanted to try something that I have been wondering about for a long time. There was something I had seen in a . . um . . play . . called Star Trek. There were these beings called ferengi. They had large ears and they loved something called an oo-mox. So, I wanted to see how something like that would affect you."

She grabs one of his hands and shoves it on her extremely large breasts.

"I am feeling really hot inside from this, Saito. It's making me go crazy. Can you feel my heart beating so fast from it?"

"It certainly is."

"Please don't stop doing it."

"Are you sure you know what you are getting into?"

"Yes, I know. I want this special time with you."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 53 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	54. Chapter 54: Bad Timing

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-Four

Bad Timing

A couple days later, in Saito's room.

"Saito, we need to talk." She says to Saito while giving him a serious look.

"Alright. What's wrong, Eleonore,"

"I have been one of the most skeptical ones so far, but I think that it is about time that you make her your familiar."

His eyes go wide in shock.

"What in the world brought that on?"

"I have been watching her since the day that you brought her here. I understand what you are trying to do, and she has made incredible progress."

"I hear a but about to come."

A loud and long sigh comes out of her mouth.

"But, she is getting frustrated. If you keep telling her that she needs to wait, then she might start feeling rejected. And she doesn't need that right now. She is used to having a master and she is desperately wants you to fill that position."

He takes in a deep breath and lets it out as well.

"It's still a lot to think about. It's going to be a rough road for her. She will be making so many changes to her life, as well as ours. I am also still a little worried about how the runes are going to affect her."

"I am not one to ever go against my usual way of thinking and carefully planning things out, but I will in this situation."

An eyebrow of his raises.

"We will just have to take things in stride. Adjust as things happen and keep a close eye on her."

"Alright. I see your point. She HAS behaved herself since she has been here, and she has been very helpful to us. I will make her my familiar, but I will do it tomorrow. I will wait until after Tabitha has left for Galia. Today I will have a talk with Sheffield and get her used to the idea of an identity change. The rest of the night I will probably have to spend with her in preparation."

"I think that will be good for her in order to leave her old life behind her."

"Plus, we can't exactly call her Sheffield when we are around other people."

She nods in agreement.

"Now that that is settled, we have something else that we need to discuss that is of utter importance." She says.

The seriousness of her tone was emphasized by the equally serious look she was giving him.

"What's wrong?"

She adjusts her glasses.

"I know that I have not been here long as your kept woman, but I have to ask for something that is very out of character for me."

"Okay, I am listening."

"I have been trying very hard to be a patient woman in the position that I am, but there is only so much a woman can take before she is driven to the edge." She says to him calmly, but with a hint of annoyance.

"What happened, Eleonore? Is there something not to your liking? Is there something that one of the others is doing that is bothering you?" He genuinely responds in earnest.

"I am a woman with needs and urges too, and there have been multiple times that I have heard the moans of pleasure over the past week. Now, I know that I probably shouldn't even ask, and this is going to sound very un-lady-like, but I want to know when you are going to take advantage of your kept woman? That is, as long as if you still find my body attractive."

After saying this, she turns her head away from him in an effort to hide her embarrassment and a heavy blush. Her arms are also crossed.

He sits there in shock for a moment, but then decides to respond before she possibly explodes in a fit waiting for a reply.

"Yes, Eleonore, I am still find your body very attractive and enticing. I still have that night I ran into your room by accident while you were changing engrained in my head."

A small smile makes its way to her facial features from hearing him say that.

"Now, I understand that Tabitha is going to be leaving tomorrow for Galia. So, it would be unfair to rectify this problem tonight, but perhaps tomorrow night?" She adds.

"Certainly, Eleonore."

"Hmph." She responds with a huff and a nod.

"Then I shall make sure that I am prepared." She says to him in a very dignified manner.

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Later on, in Sheffield's room.

He sits in a chair by the table in her room. Her room has most of the furniture and stuff back in it that was removed.

"You have been asking me a lot about when I am going to let you be my familiar."

She nods to him while sitting on the edge of her bed. Hearing him be the one to bring up the conversation perks her up a bit. She listens to him very intently.

"I want you to be my familiar, but there is something that I want to discuss with you and have you think about before we move on to the next step."

"Very well. What is it that you wanted to discuss?"

"This situation is rather troublesome because of the fact that you were an enemy, and you probably have many people that would want to instantly kill you. This is an unfortunate consequence from the life that you had and the actions that you performed."

She gets a slightly glum look on her face from hearing him say that.

"So, in light of that, I am asking you to make a complete change."

"Change?"

"A change in outfit, make-up, hair style, and a change of name."

She gets a slightly surprised but intrigued look on her face.

"Name?"

He nods.

"Yes. You would have a completely new look and Identity. I was also planning on helping you get rid of those scars with my abilities. I might even be able to make small changes to your body structure and appearance as well. We can discuss it and make changes to your liking."

Her eyes start to tear up from the thought of not having her scars anymore.

"What do you mean by changing my body structure and appearance?"

"I think that I can change your hair and eye color. I think that I can even make minor changes in the features of things like your face."

She blinks a couple of time.

"You can really do all of that?"

"Some things might be easier than others, but yes."

Siesta walks in while holding some clothes.

"This is the outfit that I had planned for you. Hopefully you like the way it was tailored. I had Siesta's and Tiffania's help with it."

Siesta begins laying out the outfit on the bed. Sheffield watches her lay out each piece of clothing.

It is all white. There is a white pair of pants with white boots to wear with it. There is a white corset styled top that would expose her midriff and collarbone. Long white gloves are placed on the bad that would go past the elbow. The last item that she lays out is a hooded cloak with fur around the edge of the hood.

Sheffield lifts up the top and looks at it closely.

"Not bad."

"You really like it?" Siesta asks excitedly.

Sheffield nods and gives a smile to Siesta. Then she looks back to Saito.

"The hood will be good for hiding your face from others."

She nods back.

"May I ask why you chose this outfit?" Sheffield asks him.

He scratches the back of his head.

"Well, you reminded me of a woman in a . . . play . . . from my world. Her name was Emma Frost. She was an enemy of a bunch of people with strange powers as well, and she, like you, changed sides from bad to good. She had also gone through a name change when she had become a good person."

Sheffield blushes.

"What were you thinking for my name?"

"Oriana."

"Doesn't that mean dawn, like the dawn of a new day?" She asks him.

"Or like a new beginning."

She blushes again.

"This is all quite thoughtful of you, Saito. I like it."

"Good. I am glad that you do. I will leave the room to let you try it on. Depending on how much you might want changed about you, then we might have to make some alterations to the outfit. If you are okay with this, then we shall seal the contract. I am going to be spending some time with Tabitha for now though."

As he turns to walk away, he gets stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looks back and sees her clutching the top against herself.

"Thank you, Saito."

After a moment of hesitation, she quickly embraces him and gives him a hug. A couple tears of joy make their way down her cheeks. She looks at him sincerely.

"Thank you so much, Saito. I have already made my decision, and the answer is yes. I don't even have to think any more about it. I want to be your familiar, and I know that you will be a good master."

"Are you sure?"

She vigorously nods.

"I have never so sure or ever wanted anything more in my life than this."

"Alright, then we will seal the contract tomorrow."

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The next day, after Tabitha had left for Galia.

Saito, Tiffania, Eleonore, and Siesta are all standing in the main entrance room with Oriana.

She is wearing the outfit that had been made for her. The outfit conforms to her figure nicely, accentuating all of her curves nicely. The corset styled top gives emphasis on her bust but still covers up enough to stay classy. Her hair was cut by Siesta earlier in the day so that it only reaches her neckline.

She also has a slight blush on her face as her and Saito stare at each other.

"I guess we will see what happens from here." He says to her.

She nods. A small smile adorns her face.

"Are you two ready?" Eleonore asks.

They both nod to her.

"Then seal the contract."

Siesta watches excitedly as they approach each other and embrace.

"I don't know what's going to happen."

"I am ready for whatever does."

He nods to her and then they lean into each other. Their mouths slightly open and they both go in for the kiss. It is a simple kiss, but Oriana feels his soft and warm lips against his.

After a moment, she backs away from him and grips her forehead.

"Argh!" She screams out.

Steam rises out from between her fingertips.

Saito looks around at everyone and then grabs a hold of her.

He moves her hand.

"Is this even possible?" He asks aloud.

"This is unheard of. I didn't think that she would end up getting the exact same runes back." Responds Eleonore

"Doesn't this mean that Saito is recognized as a void mage?" Asks Siesta.

"He must be." Tiffania says.

Oriana looks up at him with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Is everything okay Saito."

While smiling, he looks at her comfortingly.

"Everything is alright, Oriana."

Within another moment, she is out cold.

Tiffania takes off her cloak and he helps to put her into the bed.

He starts scratching the back of his neck.

"This is odd."

"How is that, Saito?" Eleonore asks.

"Why am I being recognized as a void mage?"

Eleonore shifts her glasses and looks at him.

"You have cast void magic a number of times already. You have been able to cast my sister's explosion and dispel spells."

"Then you also replicated Joseph's ability as well." Adds Siesta.

"And, never the less, you are a mage, Saito." Tiffania says.

"I guess so."

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Shortly afterward.

Outside and still morning.

Saito was training outside with Eleonore. Tiffania was on the other side of the house tending to some plants. Siesta was inside, watching over Oriana.

His shirt was off, exposing both sets of his runes.

"I still can't figure out what my new runes help me with."

"The only thing that we know is that they are from another void user."

"What else should we try?" He asks her.

"Perhaps we should try . . . "

"You aren't going to try anything." Comes another person's voice.

The people come out from behind some trees.

One of them, Jacques, is a very tall and muscular man with white hair and red markings on him. He is wielding a mace with a chain on it.

The second, Bleu is wearing an outfit that is a cross between a pirate outfit and an entertainer's outfit. He is wearing a hat with the brim curved up and a white feather inside of it. He is also wearing an orange vest.

"Who are you two?" They both ask the new guests.

"We are the elemental siblings, and we are here to take revenge." Bleu says to them.

'It doesn't matter if they call themselves elemental siblings. If they are not avatars, then there is no way that they will be able to hold a candle to a person like you.' Serena communicates to him.

'That is good to know.' He replies back to her

"Weren't you the mercenaries arrested in Romalia, and Revenge for what?" Saito retorts back to the siblings.

"No jail can hold ME! We want revenge because we didn't get our full payment for capturing that pink-haired girl. You killed the person that was supposed to pay us." Jacques spitefully says in return.

Eleonore glares at them when they mention her sister.

Saito draws his sword.

"If he was able to take out a giant metal golem and the King, then what makes you think that you are going to beat the both of us?"

A third person, Jeanette, comes up from behind Eleonore and snatches her wand. She is a short girl with purple hair. She is wearing a black dress that has multiple layers with white undertones. White stocking and black shoes are also part of her outfit.

Saito grits his teeth as Jeanette points the wand at Eleonore's neck.

Jacques starts creating golems using his earth magic.

Bleu charges at Saito with his rapier. Their swords clash. Derflinger absorbs some of the energy emanating from the rapier.

After a couple of blocks, Saito manages to kick Bleu away and he quickly creates golems that look like Guiche's.

'That other guy's golems remind of armored teenage mutant ninja turtles.' Saito muses to himself.

Jacques sends his golems out and Saito sends his towards Jacques'.

Bleu charges at him again while Saito had his focus averted.

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Back in Oriana's room.

Siesta hears the commotion from outside and goes up to the window.

She looks out to see the disturbance and gets a surprised look on her face when she sees everything that is happening.

She looks back at Oriana.

'I want to wake her, but she is still passed out and I don't have the time to go get her stuff. I have to act now.' Thinks the battle maid.

She starts running downstairs to help.

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Back outside.

"You're not so tough now, are you?" Bleu asks sarcastically.

"This would be over if you weren't using Eleonore as a hostage."

Jacques smashes through one of the golems with his mace.

"I think that I should add this one to my doll collection." Jeanette says her comrades.

Eleonore grits her teeth as she seethes with anger.

"How dare you insult me like that, you petulant child!" Snarls back Eleonore.

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't act so mean towards me if I were you." She retorts back to Eleonore.

She partially lifts up Eleonore's skirt.

"I might expose you if you don't behave."

"You really are a child, aren't you?"

'It might be embarrassing, but it's not like Saito hasn't seen me in my underwear anyways.' She muses to herself.

Jeanette angrily lifts Eleonore's skirt up, exposing her underwear.

Saito nearly gets stabbed by Bleu as he notices the sexy red panties that Eleonore was wearing.

'And I had especially put those on for him today.' Eleonore thinks to herself.

Eleonore quickly takes advantage of the distraction and snatches her wand from Jeanette. The fires of rage burn behind her as she glares at Jeanette.

"Now that I have my wand back, you are going to find that I am a more formidable foe and you will feel my wrath for all of the problems that you have caused."

"Icy wind!" Saito calls out as he causes ice shards to fly at Bleu.

Bleu laughs as the shards dissolve away as the y hit him.

"I fortified myself before we decided to stroll onto your property."

A shot is heard and Bleu grabs his arm as he yells out in pain.

"I guess you aren't fortified from non-magical objects, now are you?" Siesta says to him.

"But you are just a maid?" retorts Bleu.

"She is a lot more than JUST A MAID!" Saito snarls back.

Siesta scoffs at the thought of being considered a normal maid.

Bleu starts launching lightning bolts from his sword at Saito.

'Saito, if you change the pressure around you, then his lightning will not strike you.' Zephira instructs him.

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After watching the savages fight over food, as one of them thought, three elves spot siesta running around the house with Weylyn.

"What luck! She is here. I can't wait to get to know her." Luctania says to the two other elves with her.

"Ari, your fiancee is as daring and impatient as ever." Maddarf says to his friend.

"She really is a good girl, I just wish she wasn't so interested in the savages." Ari responds back.

Weylyn snarls at the elves as they come out of the woods.

Tiffania stops suddenly.

"Who are you?" She asks them.

"We are here to take you back with us half-elf." Ari says to her.

Maddarf starts casting a spell at Weylyn.

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Jacques had just finished casting a spell that had encased most of Siesta in rock except for her head.

Jeanette was completely drenched with Eleonore standing before her with swirling balls of water around her.

Bleu was heavily panting as he launches another lightning bolt at Saito.

The lightning bolt lands next to Saito.

Saito's eyes are glowing white.

"You should give it up. Your lightning won't hit me because I changed the air pressure around me."

'Change the rock into water.' Serena tells him.

He walks over to the rock and places his hand on it.

The rock that had Siesta encased in it turns into water and siesta is freed.

Jacques looks at him extremely surprised.

White and blue start swirling in his eyes at the same time as wind and water start swirling around him.

"You three need to know your place!" Saito sternly says to them.

A very short and young boy with blue eyes walks out into the battle area.

"What is the meaning of this, Jacques?" The boy asks.

"Big brother Damian." Jacques says in a very scared tone.

"Brother." Bleu says.

"Awww, why did he have to come and spoil our fun." Jeanette mumbles.

"Big brother?" Saito, Eleonore, and Siesta all question.

Jacques walks up to the boy that he towers over in a very apologetic manner.

"We just . . . Bleu wanted to fight Sai . . . . ." Babbles out of Jacques mouth, but then he stops and just bows his head in shame."

"You wanted to get payback for not getting our money?"

Jacques nods.

"But I do not believe in doing things that we do not get paid for." Damian says to Jacques.

He pulls out an oddly shaped trumpet.

"And you got hurt in the process, Bleu."

He puts the cone of the trumpet on the ground and presses a trigger.

'The land in the area is going to turn into water. With your powers activated you will just simply stay standing on it.' Serena informs him.

A white wave pulses out from the trumpet and all of the ground in the area turns into water.

Everyone sinks into the water except Damian and Saito, whose eyes have become dark blue.

"Well that is interesting." Damian says to Saito.

He looks at his other elemental siblings and then back to Saito.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience that they have caused you, we will be leaving." Damian says to Saito apologetically."

"Good." Saito says to him in response.

All of a sudden, there is a scream.

"Tiffania!" Saito shouts and then rushes off.

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Saito rushes around the corner while holding Derflinger.

"Saito! Elves!" Derflinger says to him.

"I don't know who this savage is, nor do I know who created all of this water but I am going to use it to my advantage."

Ari puts his hands together and starts chanting a spell.

The runes on Saito's back glow.

"O Precious water of life, grant him a peaceful slumber."

A circle appears under Ari, Luctania, and him, and then a mist emits from the water outside of the circle.

Everyone in the water, including everyone around the other side of the house, except Saito and Damian fall asleep.

They stare at Saito in shock.

"You are going to have to do a lot better than that to affect me!" Saito angrily says to them.

"Do you realize that you are messing with elves?" Ari says to him.

"Of course, I do. I have fought against an elf before and I am not scared to face you. Now stay away from my girlfriend! And if you decide to try and harm Tiffania in the process, then I will make sure that you do not leave my land alive!"

Ari and Maddarf get into a battle stance.

'He has to be the one who fought my uncle. He fits the description he gave me. Plus, he has the runes of a demonic guardian. Oooooo, and he said that he is her boyfriend. Maybe I can find out how she got such big boobs too.' Luctania thinks to herself.

She jumps in between all of them.

"Please stop. We do not want violence. If I can promise you that no harm is going to come to her then will you let us leave with her?"

"No chance at all." He retorts.

"Then, would you be willing to come with us?"

"Are you crazy, Luctania?"

"Do you have a better idea, Ari?"

She looks back to Saito.

"I am just a scientist doing research on humans. Please, I truly mean you no harm."

He could hear the sincerity in her voice.

'This could also possibly give me a good opportunity to increase relations with the elves.' He muses.

"Fine. For now." He says sternly.

"Thank you." She responds in kind.

He leaves with them while he carries Tiffania.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 54 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	55. Chapter 55: Elven Territory

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

I am sooooooooo sorry for taking so long to make this update. I am hoping to do another update within the next few days, so don't get mad over the short chapter. It had just been a very tiring couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-Five

Elven Territory

Along their travel to the Elven territory.

Tiffania is still out, but Saito is cradling her while he rides a horse. Ari and Maddarf ride along on either side of him. Luctiana is in front, leading the way. She also has Derflinger with her.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Saito asks them.

"Keep your questions to yourself and speak only when spoken to." Maddarf retorts back angrily.

Saito narrows his eyes and glares at him.

'I am getting less and less patient with this one.' He thinks to himself.

"Don't be so rude to him, Maddarf. It's not like I wasn't going to tell him at some point."

Maddarf scowls.

"We are heading to my oasis. I was allowed to take you there for observation."

"Why us, or more accurately, Tiffania?"

She hesitates a moment before answering Saito.

"She is a half-elf."

"I'm not going to believe that that is the only reason."

"She is a wielder of the demonic power. I think that you call it void. And you have the runes of a demonic guardian. Although, I don't know what your other runes mean."

'Figures that she wouldn't know.' He frets.

"Why do you call it demonic? Is it just because it's not part of the four spirits that you believe in?"

'Watch your words wisely, Saito, the elves do not take kindly to talk like that.' Serena informs.

"That's enough out of you. No more questions." Ari says to him after getting annoyed by all of his questions.

"You are being awful rude to someone that decided to come with you willingly." Saito chides back.

"You are still a savage." Maddarf retorts back.

"If I was such a savage, then I would have killed you for trespassing on my land and trying to kidnap my girlfriend. Instead, I came with you and I am trying to talk civilly with you. If your intentions were as simple as you said they were, then you wouldn't have tried what you did."

Maddarf grits his teeth.

Luctiana motions for Ari to come next to her.

He goes up next to her.

"Can you please try to calm Maddarf down." She says to him.

"But he is a savage."

"I wish you would respect what I am doing a little more. Especially since we ARE engaged."

He grumbles a little bit and then slows down slightly to get back in their previous formation.

He speaks to the other two without looking at them.

"Let's just be quiet for now. We will argue a lot less if we do that."

Saito makes sure to keep Tiffania close to him through their travel to the oasis.

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After waking up in the dirt, and finding out that Saito and Tiffania are gone, Eleonore and Siesta headed for Oriana's room.

Eleonore starts shaking her.

"Oriana, wake up!" She says in a panic.

Oriana abruptly wakes up from Eleonore's efforts, and she could hear the panic in her voice.

"What? What's wrong?" She asks Eleonore.

Siesta is also in the room.

"We got attacked while you were passed out, and now Saito and Tiffania are missing."

"Master is missing?!"

'No! I just got him and now he is missing.' Oriana thinks to herself.

She starts breathing chaotically.

Eleonore grabs her by the shoulders.

"Focus. I am panicked too, but you can possibly help rectify this. Take a deep breath and calm down."

She tries to do this.

"I need to know; do you think you can communicate with him through your link? I know that he can with Tabitha and Tiffania. Were you able to with Joseph."

"I was able to after some time."

"It took Saito a while to realize that he could do it too. I need you to try."

"Alright." She says along with a nod.

Oriana takes a deep breath and lets it out.

Then she touches her temples.

She starts imagining Saito in her head and focuses on him.

'Saito, can you hear me?'

'It's good to hear from you, Oriana.'

She blushes.

'Are you alright? I heard there was an attack. Where are you.'

'Some elves came during the attack and they wanted Tiffania. Supposedly, they just want to observe her and I for now. They know that she is a void user and that I am a void familiar though. I am a little worried about that, but we are fine for now though. We are going to some kind of oasis in the middle of a desert. Have Siesta get a message out to Henrietta tonight. She will know how.'

'But, don't you want us to come for you, my master?'

'I am not fond of being called master, Oriana. I don't suggest coming into Elven territory to come get us though. They are very formidable foes.'

'I know that they are, but I also know how they feel about void users. I don't like you being out there alone. I'm sure that the others won't like it either.'

'I am sure that they won't. I will try to figure something out if things start to go downhill. Is everyone alright from the battle at my mansion?'

'It seems like it. Eleonore and Siesta are here with me.'

'Good. I will keep in touch.'

'Very well.'

Oriana repeats this information to the other two.

Eleonore scowls and crosses her arms.

"I really don't like this. The Elves might be strong, but we need to make sure that he has help if he needs it."

Siesta nods in agreement.

"Oriana, I want you to know that you have the same runes as you did before." Eleonore says to her.

"I was wondering if that was the case. I remember my forehead burning right before I had passed out. This is good though. At least I already know what my abilities are. Get me my belongings. I have something with them that can help us."

Eleonore looks at Siesta and nods.

Siesta runs off to get Oriana's old belongings.

Then Oriana looks at Eleonore.

"Thank you for trusting me, Eleonore."

"At the moment, it's a mixture of trust and necessity. Don't make me regret putting my faith in you."

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Shortly before that conversation.

Tiffania wakes up in Saito's arms. At first, she groggily opens her eyes. Then they burst open when it dawns on her that she is riding on a horse and there are elves around them.

She starts to panic and frantically looks around.

"It's alright Tiffa."

"What's going on? Where are we?"

"We are heading into elven territory, to some kind of oasis in the middle of a desert."

'Were you defeated? She asks through their link.

He shakes his head.

'No, they didn't defeat me. I told them that they weren't going anywhere with you and then that is when she asked if I would come along too. I agreed because I thought it might be a good opportunity to increase relations with the Elves. The only one that has been really nice to me so far, has just been Luctiana.'

'Are you sure that all they want to do is observe us?'

'She seems pretty genuine about the whole thing, but I am concerned about the fact that they know that you are a void user and I am a void familiar. If this gets too out of hand though, then we are going to leave.'

'Okay.' She communicates to him worriedly.

'You are wise to be weary of the elves. Their hate for humans is high, and their fear of the void magic is even greater.' Informs Zephira.

'Why do they fear the void so much? It's considered one of the magical elements by the humans here. So, why don't the elves see it that way too?'

'They fear the destruction that happened 6000 years ago. Void magic is very powerful. As you have seen, void magic can even counter the magic that the elves use. They worry that when the four and four get together, that they will use the power to invade the country.' Zephira responds back.

'That's just wonderful.'

'Void doesn't fit in with their normal realm of spirits like the four main elements that you refer to.' Serena tells him.

'I think that I'm starting to regret my decision to come out here.'

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Back at the mansion.

Oriana pulls out a folded-up map and a gem at the end of a string from her belongings.

After unfolding the map on the table, she holds out the string with the gem on it above the map.

Her forehead glows and the gem starts rotating over the map.

Eventually, the gem stops and confirms exactly what Saito had told them.

"He was certainly right. They are in elven territory."

Eleonore crosses her arms.

"At least we can now pin-point his location. I know that he said that he is okay, but I am not comfortable just waiting. If something happens and we need to help him, then I want to be as close as I can to him." Eleonore says to all of them.

They both nod in agreement.

"I couldn't agree with you more." Siesta say in response.

"We could certainly get near the border, but I don't think that the elves would take kindly to us entering their land." Oriana says to them.

Eleonore puts a hand on her chin.

"If only we had a fast ship. Then, maybe, we could swoop in and retrieve them." She states.

"What about Mr. Colbert's ship, the Ostland? It is real fast, and he based it off of the zero fighter that Saito had piloted."

"Good thinking, Siesta. I will have to get ready to go see him in the morning."

"Let me go with you. I want to be there too. Please don't just leave me behind." Pleads Oriana.

Eleonore gives her a nod.

"Very well. Just don't blow your cover. We will have to say that you are somebody that knows Saito. Let's also keeps this situation under wraps though. I am not sure how many people should really know about this." Eleonore sternly says to them.

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Later on, at the oasis.

Saito and Tiffania were relaxing in a room that Luctiana had at the mansion they were in. The room that they were in was decorated with a mixture of human and elven decorations. The house they were in was like a single floor, beachside, ranch styled home.

Tiffania was changing into some elven clothes that Luctiana had given her. It was a brown dress that had a white collar.

"That looks very pretty on you."

She blushes lightly from the compliment and gives him a smile.

"Thank you."

"I wonder how long they are planning on observing us?" Saito asks aloud.

Tiffania simply shakes her head. Luctiana seems pretty care free about having us here though.

"She did say that there were spells in place to keep us inside though." He says in return.

Just as he finishes saying that, Luctiana walks into the house and then enters through a doorway with a curtain of beads.

She is naked except for a towel that had been hung around her neck.

Saito blushes and looks away.

'They must not be a very prude race.' He thinks to himself.

"I hope that accommodations are to your liking. I am glad that dress fit you. I was a little worried that it might have been a little tight around the chest area. Yours is quite larger than any other elven chest."

She dries herself off and slips into some elven clothing.

Tiffania blushes slightly out of embarrassment.

"I would love to learn more about you. What do you like to eat?"

Then she looks over to Tiffania.

"What did you do to get a chest like that?" She asks.

Saito smacks his forehead.

"You said that she was your girlfriend. So, have you two had sex?"

Saito's eyes practically bulge out of their sockets after hearing her ask that question. Tiffania turns bright red.

Then Luctiana starts rattling off a whole bunch of more questions.

'Oh man! What did I get us into? This is going to be awkward. I kind of feel like I'm in the movie Planet of the Apes. Luctiana and Ari are like Dr. Zira and Cornelius.'

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That evening, but still light out.

Saito had been testing the perimeter, via simple means, several times and being flung back in.

"Saito, are you sure everything is going to be okay?"

He puts his hands confidently on her shoulders.

"Everything will be okay. I promise to make sure of that."

They link their hands and she leans into him as they go back to walking.

"For now, we should try to enjoy ourselves." He says this to her while he takes off his shirt.

He strips down to his shorts and jumps into the lake.

He swims regularly trough the water and eventually he pops his head out.

He looks around and notices that he doesn't see Tiffania.

"Tiffania?"

She startles him as she pops out from the water.

He gets a good look at her and notices that she is completely naked.

'It has to be an elf thing.'

He backs up against a rock that was in the middle of the lake and her breasts press against him. She closes in and gives him a very passionate kiss.

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At that exact moment, inside of the mansion.

Luctiana was watching them.

"I guess they really aren't that much different than us. Isn't that right, Mr. talking sword?"

Derflinger rattles as he leans against the wall next to her. He is locked in such a way so that he can't speak.

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Back in the middle of the lake.

Tiffania's hand slips from where she had it planted against the rock and is reveals something underneath all of the moss and vegetation that was on the rock.

She gets a puzzled look on her face.

He turns around and realizes that the area that was revealed, seemed metallic.

"What the heck?" He says.

He dives into the water and tries to get a better look at the rock. After closer inspection, he realizes that it's not a rock at all. It is a jet plane.

He comes back up from the water.

"What is it, Saito."

"This rock is another plane from my world, I think. I am definitely going to have to investigate this tomorrow when there is more light."

"Is it really possible that there is another plane from your world here in this one."

"There have been a number of items that have shown up in this world from mine."

"It doesn't make any sense to me."

"I don't understand it either."

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That night.

Siesta goes into the room in the basement and touches the mirror.

"I hope that the Queen isn't dressed to seduce Saito. She would certainly be disappointed."

It's not long before Henrietta shows up and also touches the mirror. She is just wearing one of her normal nightgowns.

The mirror glows and Henrietta appears in the room with her.

A very surprised looks is on her face.

"Siesta? Is everything okay? Where is Saito?"

A deep breath is taken in and let out by Siesta.

"I have a lot to tell you, your Highness."

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Around the same time, at the oasis.

"Are you two going to sleep together, or separately?" Luctiana innocently asks.

Tiffania and Saito both look at each other and then at her.

"Together." They say to her nearly in unison.

She gets a slight grin on her face.

"Don't get any goofy ideas in your head." He says to her while shaking his finger.

She pouts, then she starts to leave the room.

"Luctiana!" Tiffania says.

Luctiana turns around and looks at her.

"Thank you for being kind to us."

"The other two were not as nice to us as you, especially Maddarf."

"I am sorry for his behavior. He does not share my curiosity for the barbarian . . . . I mean Human culture. And, you two have been quite nice to talk to as well." She says back to them with a smile."

"Thank you, Luctiana." Saito sys sincerely to her.

"You're welcome, Saito." She says in return.

'She actually said my name instead of just saying savage or barbarian.' He muses to himself.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	56. Chapter 56: Elven Territory Pt2

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Week from hell – that is all I am going to say.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-Six

Elven Territory Pt. 2

The next morning, Saito and Tiffania were out at the lake.

Tiffania was sitting at the docks with her feet dangling in the water. She is still in the outfit that Luctiana had picked out for her.

After submerging into the water, Saito changes into his water form and is inspecting the jet.

He begins uncovering the part of the jet that is under the water.

'Why don't you just use your powers to split the lake to reveal this jet?' Serena asks.

Zephira also asks a similar question.

'I would rather not reveal too much of my power to her. She doesn't seem too bad, but I am weary of what the other elves might do if she reports too much.'

He shifts back into his human form and rises to the surface.

After his head clears the water, Tiffania calls out to him and waves to him. She has a huge smile on her face.

He waves back to her and goes back under the water, transforming again.

Lutiana walks up from behind her and sits on the docks with her.

"You really do love him, don't you? I have been watching you two interact and how you have just been watching him this whole time."

Tiffania blushes and nods.

"I bet you won him over with those big weapons of yours." She says playfully to the half-elf.

Tiffania turns bright red out of embarrassment.

"It's not quite like that."

"Oh, c'mon. You can't tell me that he doesn't enjoy those."

She gets no response from Tiffania.

"So he does. Have you two had sex?" She asks excitedly.

Tiffania covers her face.

"Please, tell me I can watch you two for my research?" She asks pleadingly with her hands clasped together.

Steam practically rises up from Tiffania's head.

"Okay, okay. I will ask another time. Are you two planning on getting married?"

Tiffania lets go of her face and frowns slightly.

"You mean to tell me that the two of you have had sex and aren't planning on getting married?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story. He is engaged to get married to another person. I am a mistress of his." She says to Luctiana.

Then she waves her hands.

"Don't get me wrong, I actually don't mind being a mistress." Tiffania adds.

"So he has multiple women. Are all of you really okay with that setup?"

She nods to Luctiana.

"You know, if it can be cleared, you might be able to marry him under Elven law. We acknowledge the human customs, but Elven ones supersede the human ones."

"Really?" Tiffania asks extremely excitedly.

Luctiana nods to her with a smile.

Saito clears off the cover of the cockpit, and he frowns.

Inside is a dead pilot. The cockpit was full of water and he was pretty decayed.

'He must not have been able to get out in time.'

'Bury him in the floor of this lake, and if the spirits accept him, then he will become a welcomed spirit here.' Serena tells him.

'Really?'

'Yes.'

'That'll be good. All of the electronics in this must be toast too. I wouldn't have been able to use it anyways without my Gandalfr powers and the fact that this wasn't preserved like the zero wing.'

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At the academy.

Eleonore had managed to get in touch with Colbert. Without a crew, they had also enlisted the aid of the Ondine knights.

They were all starting to get ready to board the Ostland.

"And who may I ask is this?" He asks Eleonore while looking at Oriana.

Oriana keeps her hood over her face, making sure to keep it pretty well hidden.

"She is another friend of Saito's that we had met along our journeys. Her name is Oriana."

"It is nice to meet you, Oriana. Any friend of Saito's is a friend of mine."

"Thank you." She softly replies in kind.

Another cloaked figure approaches them.

"And who are you?" Eleonore asks coldly.

The figure lowers her hood and reveals herself to be Agnes. She is in common clothing.

Everyone looks on in shock.

"I am surprised to see you, Agnes." Eleonore says to her.

"I wasn't able to help you out in Galia. So, I wasn't going to stand idly by in this situation. The Queen wasn't willing to let this go either."

"But why are you in just commoner clothing?" Asks Siesta.

"She didn't want to cause a full scale war with the Elves in case things don't go so well."

"A war with the elves is certainly something that we want to avoid. We just want to be able to fly in and fly out when the time is right." Colbert adds.

"And Guiche and the rest of the Ondine knights will be there for the big rescue as well. Then we can say that we got to help save Saito."

Montmorency grabs him by the ear. Just make sure to keep your focus.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay!" Guiche says while flailing his arms around.

Kirche grabs on to Colbert's arm.

"We'll be able to rescue him, right, Jean?" She says while look at him.

He blushes at her stare.

"I certainly hope we can." He replies.

Siesta starts walking up the ramp with Eleonore.

"Don't worry, Eleonore. It's Saito. I am sure everything will be okay." The maid says to her blond-haired teammate.

"I hope so." Eleonore says in return.

'Not to mention, I never got to have my night with him. I was working so hard for that too. Those damn elemental siblings.'

"Alright, everyone. Let's board and head for the border." Colbert says to everyone.

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A day later, at the oasis.

Saito, Tiffania, and Luctiana were sitting inside of the mansion talking about things in the savage lands. They hear the sounds of wings flapping and they rush outside.

They see a couple of dragons flying towards them, and they appeared to have riders on them. The riders are Bidashal and Ari, and they land near the mansion.

"Hello uncle." She says to Bidashal.

"Hello, Luctiana. Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes uncle. The land of the savages was amazing. And look, here are Tiffania and one of the humans as well."

She motions to them.

Bidashal and Saito stare at each other. Tiffania partially hides behind Saito.

"It has been a while." He says to Saito.

"Bidashal." Saito mutter lightly with a scowl.

"I am only here to check and makes sure my niece is doing a good job supervising you."

He looks over to his niece.

"Luctiana, I am going inside to make sure everything is in order."

She nods motions to the mansion.

"Go right ahead, uncle. You won't find anything amiss."

He starts to walk in, but stops when he gets next to Saito and looks over at him.

"By the way, how is the mother of that girl from Galia?"

Saito and Tiffania get slightly surprised from the question.

"She is doing quite well. No thanks to that poison."

"I am surprised. That was quite a powerful Elven poison that was used on her. If I may ask, how was she cured? Did you get an antidote from another elf?"

"No. I was able to cure her without the help of any elf or elven antidote."

Bidashal gets a slightly surprised look on his face."

"You did?"

Saito nods.

"Well, in any case, I am glad she is well." He says to Saito and then he continues inside.

Ari stretches and puts his hands behind his head.

"It's a shame that our love nest is a kennel for these savages."

"Don't be so bitter, Ari. What's going on with the council?"

"They are split. Eshmael thinks that the demonic users and their familiars shouldn't be allowed to live. Frankly, I agree with him. They are no different than beasts. Who knows what will happen if we let them live." Is his reply while pointing at her.

She pouts, turns her head away, and crosses her arms in front of her.

"You can forget marrying me if you're going to be like that."

"But that's a different issue al . . . . " He starts to say out of worry.

She turns her head towards him.

"Why can't you be more supportive of my research?" She asks angrily while walking away.

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A couple days later.

Saito walks out from the mansion to see Maddarf roughly holding onto Tiffania's hand.

Instantly, he gets a pissed off look on his face, and he begins walking toward the group of them. Ari was also amongst them.

"That was not what they promised. They agreed to leave them under my care!" She yells.

"But what can we do? It's an order." Ari tries to reason with her.

"Now come!" Maddarf commands Tiffania.

Maddarf yanks on Tiffania's wrist to pull her along. She lets out a yelp and winces from the pain.

"Now hurry up!" Again, Maddarf commands.

"Enough!" Saito shouts out at Maddarf.

Saito narrows his eyes and breaks Tiffania away from him. She quickly steps behind Saito.

"The council has reconsidered what to do with you two. You will be coming with us."

"They reconsidered, have they? Where are we going?"

"You are going to be presented to the council." Maddarf says in an annoyed tone from having to explain this to a savage.

"So we are going to be put on trial then, aren't we?"

Luctiana frowns and looks away. She gives a slight nod while looking away

'Don't worry, Tiffania. I will do everything in my power to protect you.'

Tiffania leans into his back.

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After landing at a tower in the Elven capital Adil, everyone is greeted by Bidashal.

He comes walking out onto the deck to meet them and Saito walks up to him.

"Nothing better happen to Tiffania, Bidashel. or so help me . . . . "

"Kepp quiet." Bidashal says to Saito in a calm tone.

Another elf gets on the deck and starts to approach

Bidashal gets a little closer to Saito and whispers to him.

"If you want to live, then stay low."

The other elf is wearing a blue tunic with gold trim, and has a regal looking green cape. Annoyance is already plastered on his face as he looks at Tiffania.

"So this is the girl?" He says aloud.

He continues to walk toward her.

"To think that she is of Elven blood, but yet inherits the demonic power."

He stop within inches of her.

"How utterly horrifying." He says in disgust right to her face.

Tiffania frowns, and Saito grits his teeth.

Luctiana places a hand on Saito's shoulder and whispers into his ear.

"Watch out for Lord Eshmael. His hatred for savages is even considered extreme by the elders."

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While at the border of the Elven territory.

Eleonore paces back and forth on the Ostland.

She has her typical scowl and her patience is slowly wearing thin.

"Please try to calm down Miss Valliere." Siesta says pleadingly to Eleonore.

Eleonore glares at Siesta.

"I do not do good with waiting. I am also worried about being too late when Saito needs our help."

Agnes is also not doing well with the waiting as she drums her fingers along the railing of the ship out of nervousness.

"I agree with you, Eleonore. I don't like this. I wish Tabitha was also here with us. Her and Sylphid would be very useful."

Oriana walks over to everyone.

"You are right. She would be, but Saito also knew how important it was for her to go back to Galia. I am sure that she isn't very happy about it either. We also can't just waltz right into the elven territory and hang around until Saito needs us. This isn't a military ship. We have to be patient. The only thing that we have to our advantage is the speed that Mr. Colbert said that this ship has to offer."

Agnes and Eleonore both grumble under their breath.

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Saito and Tiffania stand on display in the middle of the council hall with their hands bound by ropes.

Ten guards surround them, with five on each side of them. Ari and Maddarf are also on the main floor with them as guards.

The hall is set up like an amphitheater on either side of them. Many elves are overlooking them. Behind them are the main doors, and Eshmael stands at a podium in front of them.

Luctiana and Bidashal stand at the back of the room, but the doors.

Eshmael addresses the council.

"When the four and four unite, the land of the spirits shall perish. That is what will happen when the demonic users and their familiars come together. This is the prophecy that everyone knows that has been passed down from six thousand years ago. They are gathering together and plan on destroying us elves, once and for all." Declares Eshmael.

Saito shakes his head.

"That's a lie!" He calls out.

None of the elves seem to pay him any attention.

Tiffania gasps at the thought.

Eshmael points at Saito.

"This one here is both a user and guardian!"

The council members begins talking amongst themselves.

Eshmael continues on.

"The only thing that we can do to prevent the atrocities from six thousand years ago from happening again is to kill them all. This is the only way to stop them from uniting and gathering their power."

Saito and Tiffania look around in shock and horror as some of the elves cheer at Eshmael's words. Some of them even shout out for their death. They feel a little reprieve when they some words of reasoning from some of the other elves.

"That would make us no better than them, if we kill them." One of the other elves say.

"Yes! Imprisoning them should be enough!" Shouts out another elf.

'At least some of them have some sense.' Saito thinks to himself.

'Over the centuries, I have learned that living beings act irrationally when driven by fear.' Zephira says to him.

'It is like that from my world too. I guess even the elves are afraid of something.'

'The only way you might be able to stop this is by showing them that you are a spirit guardian, our avatar. You were holding back this whole time, because you wanted to get through to them as a human, but I think that you are running out of options, Saito.' Serena informs him.

Arguing and bantering pursues for a few more moments between the various council members.

Eshmael steps away from the podium and begins approaching Tiffania.

"Look closely!" He shouts to his fellow councilmen.

He stops and holds his hand in the air.

"We might tolerate such atrocity in the body of a savage. . . ."

He glares at Tiffania.

"But to think that the demonic power resides within the body of something with elven likeliness."

He grabs her bound wrists and raises them in the air.

"It's here, in this corrupt girl!"

He starts walking away, pulling on her roughly.

Luctiana grits her teeth in anger at how her fellow elves are acting.

Bidashal narrows his eyes in worry.

"Enough!" Saito hollers out.

His eyes turn blue.

He turns his wrists into water and quickly gets out of the ropes that were binding his wrists together.

"Leave her alone!"

Then he shoots a small blast of air at Eshmael, which disrupts the elf enough for him to get Tiffania away.

His body continues to slowly transform into his body of water form.

Ari raises his hand in the air and calls out.

"Come! Sword!"

The sword that was strapped to his back unsheathes itself and floats in front of him. He launches the sword at Saito's shoulder.

Saito's shoulder transforms just in time for the sword to pass right through and not affect him.

At this point, all of the other guards have drawn their swords and begin to encircle the two of them.

Saito's body finishes transforming and he stands with Tiffania at his back.

White swirls in with the blue in his eyes and he raises a shield of wind and water around the two of them.

"What is this?" Eshmael yells.

Saito glares at him.

"I am an avatar, the chosen guardian, for both the water and wind spirits."

Many gasps are heard from the council members and the hall quiets down to murmurs between council members.

"This is preposterous! How can a demonic savage be chosen by the spirits." Eshmael says.

"That's right! I have been chosen by the spirits that you worship to be their avatar."

Trying to regain control of the situation, Eshmael speaks to the council again.

"Do not let this sway you. He is still a savage and a demonic user!"

"Do you really want to risk angering the spirits by trying to harm me, their avatar, or Tiffania?"

"We can't anger our spirits!"

"He is still a demonic user!"

Saito looks around the room, watching the elves.

"Get them out of here so that we can regain order in here."

One of the guards nervously approaches the shield.

"Please?" The guard says nervously.

Saito looks back at Tiffania and she nods to him.

He lowers the shield and slowly changes back into his normal form.

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In the cell that they had been taken to.

Saito sits on the bed and Tiffania collapses into him.

"I am so sorry that they are treating you like this, Tiffania. They treat you like you are some kind of abomination. I never should have agreed to come here with you. This is all my fault." He says to her while shaking his head.

He could feel tears dripping down his neck as she cries into it.

"If I wasn't a half-elf then . . . "

"Don't talk like that Tiffa." He abruptly interrupts her.

He pulls her away and looks at her in the eye.

"There is nothing wrong with you being a half-elf. You are beautiful and kind. And I wouldn't want you any other way."

He grabs her by the chin and kisses her lovingly, which seems to calm her down. When they finish kissing, she embraces him in a hug.

"Thank you, Saito."

"For what?"

"Thank you for protecting me, and thank you for your kind words."

"I meant them."

She smiles at him.

"I wish that they weren't so driven by fear from some damn prophecy that was created six thousand years ago."

She nods in agreement.

"I would never use my power like that." She says to him.

"I know that you wouldn't."

"How are we going to get out of here, Saito?"

"I would try to bust out of here right now, but I don't know where Derf is at. He was in Luctiana's possession.

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A little while later.

Saito was laying on the bed with his head on Tiffania's lap.

The door opens up and reveals Ari, Bidashal, and Luctiana. Luctiana was holding Derflinger.

"Hey brother! Miss me much?"

"Derflinger? What brings you three here?"

"We are here to rescue you." Luctiana happily says to them.

Saito and Tiffania look at each other in shock.

Ari crosses his arms.

"I am only here to keep Luctiana and her uncle safe." He says to Saito while looking away.

"Come." Simply says Bidashal.

They all quickly follow him.

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While walking in the sewers underground.

"My uncle designed these sewers when he was younger. So, he knows these corridors by heart."

"I hope we don't end up falling right into a trap." Saito says aloud.

"Don't you have any trust?" Asks Lutciana.

"We haven't exactly had the best treatment since we've been here. And wouldn't the council suspect that we would use this as an escape route? And, why are you helping us anyways?" He responds.

She frowns slightly.

"I am sorry about your treatment. I never meant for any of that to happen. I agreed to this because of my research. I didn't want you killed. I now understand why my uncle was against it."

"He was?" Saito says in shock.

Bidashal glances back at them.

"I suspected that many of my kind wouldn't be able to contain their hatred when they saw you in person. That is how it has been in our history with the savages. I was hoping that you could stay secluded at my niece's oasis, but Eshmael decided otherwise."

"I need to ask you something, Bidashal. Why did you cooperate with Joseph?"

"I did it out of fear. I wanted to investigate the demonic power at all costs. So, I approached him when I found out he had such power."

"Why did you do all of those things for him?"

"That was the contract I had made with him. I had promised my loyalty to him. That is when I realized that it wasn't the power itself that was terrifying, but how it was used."

They get to a doorway and Bidashal tries to use his magic to open the door.

It doesn't open.

He gets a worried look on his face.

"They sealed the doorway. They sealed it with the power of the spirits." Bidashal says to them.

"This isn't good." Worriedly says Ari.

They start to hear the footsteps of many armed elves coming toward them.

"Quick, buy me some time. I will use my void magic to open this door."

Bidashal holds out a hand.

"Form a wall."

Bricks from the surrounding walls form a wall between them and the enemy.

Saito begins to cast Dispel on the doorway.

Maddarf calls out to Saito's group from the other side of the wall.

"It's no use. I will break through this wall and send in a poisonous mist to kill all you including those who help the demonic ones."

The others look at each other worriedly.

Saito finishes the spell and the magic aura around the door dissipates.

"Even if he did start to send in a poisonous mist, I would just blow it away. But, the door should be open now." Saito says to them.

Bidashal waves a hand and the doors open.

They all quickly rush outside.

'How about that pickup, Oriana?'

'I am sorry, Saito. This is terrible. We have had to turn back. We slipped by the border ship, but elven forces have pushed us back and we have had to retreat back to the border.' Oriana communicates to him from a room on the ship.

"Damn!"

"What's wrong, Saito?" Tiffania asks.

"They can't get through. We are on our own. I wish I could just magically teleport to where Oriana is."

His thoughts focus on her. And her thoughts are focused on him.

'Think, Saito, think. There has to be a way.'

All of a sudden he stops dead in his tracks.

Everyone else with him notices and stops to look back at him.

"Saito?" Tiffania asks in worry.

His eyes get a blank look in them.

The founder's prayer book unlatches from his side and flips open. Words appear on the pages and Saito begins reciting a spell that he never heard or casted before.

"Cen gyfu hagalaz sowilo beorc daeg ansaz sorn wyad

A portal opens up and everyone sees Oriana standing in a room on the Ostland through it.

Oriana's eyes go wide in shock.

"Saito!" She shouts out at him.

His eyes go normal and he also sees her through the portal.

"Oriana!" He shouts with a smile.

They rush up towards each other on either side of the portal.

"I somehow opened up this portal to you." He says to her as she gives him a huge hug with tear filled eyes.

The portal is open, but not wide enough for a person to fit through.

"I need to get this portal wider." He says.

His chest begins to glow and the portal instantly widens.

"Let's go, Tiffania!"

"Can we come along too? I don't think that they are going to let us live." Luctiana asks.

Saito nods.

"To the savage land?" Ari says to her.

"Come." Says Bidashal.

They all walk through the portal. Just as it closes behind them, Saito faints.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

I apologize to the readers of my other stories. I fell quite behind, but I am hoping to update both of my other stories over the next week and a half.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	57. Chapter 57: Trouble In Germania

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-Seven

Trouble In Germania

A week after the incidents in the Elven territory.

Saito hears a knock on his office door at the mansion.

"Come in."

Luctiana opens the door and approaches Saito.

"Hello, Luctiana. How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if we could venture out of the house. Ari and I are getting a little stir crazy inside of here, especially since he doesn't have my uncle hear to talk to."

"I hope your uncle made the right choice by going back into Elven territory."

"He has a very high up position in the Elven hierarchy. I think that he wants to try to smooth things over with the council somehow."

He gives her a nod.

"I understand your problem. I was actually wondering when you were going to approach me about this."

"Please. Can we venture around your estate? It's not like we have anywhere else to go to."

"I don't want you feeling like a prisoner here. I want you to feel at home here. Why don't you ask Tiffania to show you around, but I need you to keep a low profile."

She makes a face that shows mixed feelings.

"I don't want to treat you like the way Tiffa and I were treated, but I want to take caution."

"I guess that will be good enough. Thank you for being so kind to us even though you had terrible treatment. I don't think humans are as bad as you were made out to be." She says to him in a sincere tone.

"Thanks, Luctiana."

She leaves to find Tiffania and Ari.

After she leaves, Saito looks out the window.

"I suppose I should take a break. I bet Eleonore will be arriving back from the school that she teaches at." He says aloud.

Derflinger pops out of his scabbard.

"I don't think that she would be very happy if you didn't greet her right away when she arrived, partner."

Saito chuckles a little bit.

"That might be an understatement, Derf, especially since she went through all that effort to help rescue me Tiffa and I."

He pauses a moment and reflects on what happened while touching his chin.

"I still wish I fully understood what happened back there."

"What do you mean?"

"My chest glowed and I felt like I had a power boost. Is that what my new runes do? Do they just give my spell casting a power boost?"

"Yes and no."

"Wait! You know what my power is? Did you know this whole time and not tell me?"

"I've been around a long time, partner. It slipped my memory, until your powers activated."

"So what is it?"

"It is known as Lifdrasir, The heart of God. I had never seen it used like the way you used it. The runes aid the void user's spells. You willed it to aid that portal spell that you had cast. That is why you had that power boost."

"So, it only works on void spells."

"Yep."

"Do you know anything else about it?"

"Nope. That's all I know about it."

"I must have fainted because I wasn't used to that kind of boost."

'That seemed like more than just a faint, Saito.' Serena says to him.

'Your life force weakened after you had used your runes.' Chimes in Zephira.

"I do remember something more about your runes, Saito. But you are not going to like it."

He looks at Derflinger with worry.

"What is it Derf."

"Brimir's familiar was also the Gandalfr and the Lifdrasir at the same time. It drained her life force every time she used it. Theoretically, you could die if you overdo it, Saito." Derflinger says seriously.

Saito stares at him for a very long moment.

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Later on.

A personal messenger from the Valliere household, pulls up to Saito's estate.

Eleonore greets the messenger and he takes off after giving her the letter.

"Is everything all right Eleonore?" Saito asks.

"I'm not sure." The blond Valliere says in return with an odd look on her face.

"It's very unusual for a message to be personally delivered like this." Adds Siesta.

Eleonore walks into the library and sits down.

"May I join you?" Politely asks Saito.

She gives a nod.

While she reads the letter, Saito sees her facial expressions change.

"This is very odd."

"What is?"

She looks up from the letter at Saito.

"My mother sent me this letter to inform me that many Germanian troops have been leaving Albion. The ambassador has refused to tell my father the reason why."

"That sounds like something that he should tell your father."

"Well, as long as if it doesn't affect the treaty over Albion or Tristan itself, then he doesn't. It is rather rude though." Eleonore replies.

Saito touches his chin and looks down while in thought.

"You know, I do remember Henrietta telling me that she had a hard time trying to get any help from them while we were in Galia. She said that they were experiencing their own difficulties and could not supply any help." He says to her.

"Hmmmmmm."

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Later on, in Oriana's room.

"So, have you given it any thought yet? About changing your looks?" Saito asks Oriana.

She nods.

"I have given it some thought. I wanted to hear more about this woman that you had mentioned."

He takes a good look at the woman standing before him.

"Well, her frame seemed to be very similar to yours, but I think that her face was a little more elongated and she had blond hair.

'Perhaps he would be pleased if I looked like the person that he told me about.' She thinks to herself.

"Can we change my features to look like that?" She asks.

"Are you sure? You don't have to look like the person I told you about. You can choose whatever you want."

"Does her form please you?"

"I can't say that it doesn't, but this isn't about me." He replies with a sound of slight agitation in his voice.

She quickly gets off of the bed, kneels and bows to him.

"I am sorry master. Please forgive me. I was just trying to choose features that please you as well."

The reaction slightly startles him, but then he realizes why she acted like this.

He lets out a slight sigh.

Then, he kneels on the ground in front of her and makes her raise up from her bowing position. A warm surprise comes to her when he gives her a hug.

After pulling away, he responds to her.

"It's all right, Oriana. I am not going to punish you or anything like that. I am not your previous master."

She cringes slightly as memories fill her head. As soon as he sees her going through that, he embraces her in another hug.

The hug does what he intended it to do, and the thoughts quickly purge from her head. She returns the hug.

"Thank you." She says to him.

"Do you really want to change your features to those?"

She nods.

"Alright. Then, let's continue." He says softly.

She happily nods.

"I am going to have to kiss you. Is that all right?" He asks while blushing.

"You don't even have to ask me that. Of course it's okay. I will gladly kiss you."

While still on their knees, they lean into each other. As their lips begin to meet, she pulls him close and presses into him.

He could feel warm feelings coming from her through their link.

He activates his powers and starts changing her.

From the roots on out, her hair changes color from black to blond.

Her face begins tingling and then she feels her newest scar disappear. A tear escapes her closed eyes.

Then, she feels her facial structure changing. Instead of the rounded that she had, she now has a slightly more elongated face.

They pull away from each other, and she stands up to look at herself in the new mirror in her room. She looks at herself in shock from the transformation.

"Thank you so much. This is amazing." She says to him while feeling up her new face,

"I am glad that you are pleased. Now, I have to break up this nice moment with something I almost forgot to do."

With a puzzled look on her face, she looks over to him.

"What is that?" She asks.

He stands up and points at her.

"This is an imperative order from me, your master. You are not allowed, whether it be directly or indirectly, harm or kill any of the women that I am involved with."

She looks at him in surprise.

"What was that for?"

"I know how the runes affect people. I remember the jealousy that I felt when Louise was being sought after by another man. I don't want those kinds of thoughts clouding your judgment and making you do something that both of us would regret."

"I see." She says with a hint of sorrow in her voice.

Then she looks up at him.

"Exactly how many women are in your life?"

"Siesta, Eleonore, Tabitha, Agnes, and Queen Henrietta. I love all of them very much."

She gives him another sad look.

"So, is there no room for me, master?"

He inwardly sighs.

'I knew that this question might come up.' He says to himself.

"Oriana, let's save that for another time. I am not telling you outright no, but I am not going to automatically say yes. You can't know for sure at this moment that you really love me. I know that the runes are probably trying to sway your judgment. And, I don't like it when you refer to me as master. I only referred to myself as that this one time because I wanted to make it clear to you that I didn't want anything to happen to them."

She frowns.

"I understand your response. . . . . . Saito. I will wait to ask you that question again. But, I want you to know that I really have already developed feelings for you. You have been so kind to me. I have been treated so well by you and the people that you are with. Even though it is taking some getting used to, I feel at home here. Most of all, I feel . . . . at peace. . . . . here."

He gives her a smile that lights up her face.

"That is good to know. I promise that we will talk another time."

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Saito was lying in his bed, looking up at his ceiling. He was lost in thought.

He thinks about everything that happened in the Elven territory. He also thinks about everything that happened that caused Sheffield to transform into Oriana.

Siesta sees him in his bed and gives a light knock on the surrounding doorway.

He doesn't seem to notice and keeps staring up.

She silently walks in and walks up to the bed.

He lets out a sigh, but then gets slightly startled when Siesta leans over and her face pops into his view.

"Oh, hey Siesta."

"I'm sorry. You didn't answer when I knocked."

"No, I'm sorry. Just a lot on my mind."

She smiles down at him.

"You've had a lot of serious things happen to you. Don't forget to take time to enjoy yourself too."

He smiles up at her.

"Like my maid?" He says mischievously.

"I most certainly wouldn't turn you down." She says in response.

Then she leans over a little further and kisses him. After they finish kissing, he looks at her questioningly.

"What brought you here anyways?"

"You have some guests here to see you."

"Oh?"

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After walking downstairs, he walks into the library and finds Aimee, Guinevere, and Julia.

"Hey, everyone, what brings the three of you here?" He asks.

Guinevere gets up and quickly walks over to give him a hug.

"Behave yourself." Julia says strictly.

'Even though I wouldn't mind joining her.' She inwardly adds.

Saito looks over and sees Aimee slowly get up and walk over towards him. He could tell that she seemed down about something.

"Everything okay, Aimee?" He asks her caringly.

"She is a little upset. She had baked some cookies, but Weylyn grabbed the bag from her and took off running. Tiffania tried to stop him, but he apparently really wanted those cookies." Julia says for Aimee.

Aimee pouts.

"She worked really hard on them. We were really sorry that we weren't here to help you when you got attacked." Guinevere adds.

"Well, thank you for the thought." He says to them.

Aimee gets a slight blush.

"I have to return, but these two will be stationed here with you once again." Informs Julia.

"It will be good to have the both of you here again. It's a shame you couldn't stay as well, but I understand that you have your duties back at the palace. It was good to see you again, Julia."

She blushes.

"Well . . . um . . . .er . . . thank you, . . . Saito." Babbles Julia.

Aimee and Guinevere give a slight giggle.

She clears her throat and tries to regain her composure.

"Anyways, I must be going. I am glad to see that you safely returned." Julia says professionally, and then quickly leaves.

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Shortly after breakfast the next morning, Saito walks to the Library again after hearing that he had received another guest.

He walks in and sees Kirche sitting in one of the chairs. She has a very worried look on her face, and she is clutching a letter with her family crest on her.

"Is everything alright, Kirche?"

She shakes her head back and forth. Her eyes look as though they could burst at any moment with tears.

"I need your help Saito." She says pleadingly.

He walks towards her and sits across from her.

"Alright, Kirche, I am listening." He says as calmly as possible.

Siesta walks in with some tea and places it on the table for them.

Kirche opens the letter that she was holding.

"I am asking you, on behalf of my family, for your assistance."

"Your family?"

She hands him the letter.

She starts telling him what is going on while he reads the letter.

"There is a problem going on in my home country. The entire country has been struggling to deal with a problem. The temperature has been getting hotter. In many cities, and some areas have begun to have droughts."

"Do you know what is causing all of this?"

"As you keep reading, my father describes, what I can only assume to be another avatar, like you. Except this one has fire abilities."

He stops reading and looks up at her in shock.

'Is it really surprising that there might be other avatars out there?' Serena says to him.

"He has even burned down a city."

"Is that why forces are being pulled from Albion?" He blurts out.

She gets startled from him revealing that, but then she remembers that Eleonore lives here, with him, as well.

She nods.

"Yes, that is the reason why."

He stands up and starts pacing back and forth.

"This has been going for a while, hasn't it?"

She nods again.

"Then why haven't you come to me sooner. They know what I did in Albion. So, why would they hold off on contacting me when they think that he is an avatar?"

"They, the country, didn't want to get anyone outside involved. Their pride is clouding their judgment. They were trying to keep it a private matter, but their armies have been proving useless against him."

Saito shakes his head.

"Has he said why he is doing that?"

"He said that he is doing this so that his master will be able to roam wherever he wants, freely."

"That's insane."

"My family has asked me to unofficially ask you for help. My family said that they would try to figure out some way of paying you back if you help us."

Tears begin streaming down her face.

"Saito, please, can you help us. I am begging you. I don't want anything to happen to me family or my country."

'So, they must be trying to save face by having Kirche and her family ask me for help instead of the government.' He surmises.

'I need to know, is this something I should be getting involved in?' He asks both of the spirits.

Zephira says nothing back to him.

'What this avatar is doing is causing an unnatural change in nature.' Serena says to him.

"But you were going to flood the world for your ring." He retorts back to Serena.

"That is quite true. I was angry over the loss of my ring and I was willing to do anything to get it back."

Zephira still stays silent.

'Still, if all we thought about was feely roaming around all the time, then this world would be plagued by natural disasters all of the time. I am not sure why the change, but the conclusion that we had agreed upon was to try to keep a balance in nature.'

"Saito, I don't think that there is anyone else that I could turn to for help."

He goes over to her and comfortingly gives her a hug.

"It's okay, Kirche. You are my friend, and I am going to do everything that I can to help you out."

"Thank you so much, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that you are going to help."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story as we go into a story arc that isn't canon.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 3


	58. Chapter 58: Rash Judgement

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

I am sorry for taking so long to get this out. I had focused on school stuff, so I put everything on the back burner. So, as a reward for waiting patiently, This chapter is nearly double my usual size. Enjoy.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-Eight

Rash Decisions

Later in the afternoon.

Saito worrisomely walks around his land with the situation heavily on his mind.

He doesn't even notice that he was passing by the three elves that reside with him.

They could see the worried look on his face.

Tiffania was trying to wave to him to no avail.

"Why don't you go see him, Tiffania. Your boyfriend seems really distressed." Luctiana says to Tiffania.

She blushes from hearing her call him her boyfriend, but then she nods and runs off to him.

"Hey, Saito!" She says cheerfully to him as she approaches from behind.

She startles him and he nearly jumps out of his skin. She feels a little bit of regret about approaching him like this.

"Are you all right, dear?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Your facial expressions are calling you a liar. You look so serious. I can also feel it through our bond."

He sighs.

"I guess that I can't lie to you. Yes, I am worried and I am trying to make sense of this."

She latches onto his arm and continues to walk with him.

He could feel a sense of comfort coming from her through their bond.

He gives her a little smile and she gives one back.

"Thank you, Tiffa."

"So, what is troubling you?"

"This is big."

"And some of your other battles haven't been?"

"Don't get me wrong. They have been, but this is different. I haven't faced another avatar. I have faced some pretty powerful mages and magical beasts, but not another avatar. Not to mention, this was an informal request to help out another country."

"You really are getting pretty worked up over this."

He nods.

She gives his arm a little comforting squeeze.

"You have been through so much, and you have always made it out okay. You fought 70,000. You took on a whole country for Tabitha. Then, you even got us out of the situation that happened in the elven territory."

"You're right."

"I believe in you."

"Thanks. I wish I knew more about this. I hope that I can talk him out of this, but it doesn't seem like it is going to be that easy."

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I will be right there with you, dear."

He stops. His teeth are slightly gritted.

She looks at him in puzzlement.

"Is something wrong?" She asks.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go with me this time."

She lets go of his arm and stands in front of him.

"Why not?"

He pauses a moment. She sees his gritted teeth and she could tell that he has something to say, but he doesn't want to say it.

"Tell me, Saito. Why can't I go? You need to talk to me!" She says in a more elevated tone.

"It's because you are an elf. I didn't want to say that, because of how I feel about you. You know I love you, but I can't take you because you are an elf. You have been pretty accepted here with the Queen's help, but there are many that aren't okay with elves. I even told Luctiana and Ari that as well. I don't know how they will react to you in Germania."

She quiets down after hearing explanation.

She grabs him by the arms.

"Then who WILL you take with you."

He shakes his head.

"I am not sure. I can't take you. Tabitha is still in her country taking on issues. Henrietta obviously can't go with me. Agnes, Aimee, and Guinevere can't go with me either because then it would seem like a political thing. I am not sure about Eleonore. Her family and Kirche's family don't exactly get along. Plus, she has her school duties. I am sure Siesta would go."

"And what about Oriana?" Tiffania asks while looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Do you think that I should take her?"

"She has changed so much now. She really is a different person in both looks and personality."

He starts rubbing his chin.

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After making sure that Kirche was settled in, Saito was making his way back to his room.

He was wearing a simple pair of loose pants and a shirt.

He was passing by Eleonore's room, when she quickly opens the door. She was wearing a very sleek nightgown with a partial slit going up one side.

"Is everything okay?" He asks after a moment of staring.

"Are you heading for bed?"

"Well, yes I am."

One corner of her mouth deviously curls up.

'Then everything definitely is okay.' She inwardly muses.

"Then, may I escort you to bed?"

He scratches his head.

'What's with her?' He asks himself.

"Sure." He says anyways.

She nods after hearing his response.

"Good." She says seriously while adjusting her glasses.

Then she proceeds to link her arm with his while they walk the rest of the way to his room.

As they walked, he couldn't help but notice how her nightgown gives a nice flip with each step that she makes. A small glimpse of her lower leg gets revealed through the slit with each flip.

She inwardly smiles and blushes from watching him pay attention to her.

They walk into his room. He unlinks his arm with hers and he walks forward. She closes the door behind them.

He hears her close the door and it dawns on him what might be going on.

He sits on his bed and shifts the covers a little bit.

Eleonore stands in front of the bed.

"Can I help you with something else?" He asks her.

She crosses her arms, but tries not to get annoyed.

"A lady never asks if she can join a man in bed."

He scratches his head and looks away.

"I don't know. I am pretty tired and I have a lot of traveling to do tomorrow."

Her arms stiffen at her sides and she makes fists. One of her eyes twitches and then she abruptly turns around. Just as she was about to storm away she hears him clear his throat.

"Eleonore?"

She glares over her shoulder and she seems him smiling at her.

"I was just messing with you. I would love it if you would join me in bed." He says while gently patting the part of the bed next to him.

Her anger changes instantly.

She walks over to the bed.

"You are lucky that I love you." She says to him.

"I am sure that I am." He says back while smiling at her.

"I wore something special for you tonight."

"Oh really?"

'I hope it's that red underwear.'

She raises up her nightgown as she lifts a knee to climb onto the bed. She raises it high enough so that her red underwear is revealed through the slit and her bare legs show.

She also blushes and looks away.

"I even wore a special matching top that goes with it."

He grabs her chin and turns her face towards his.

"I can't wait to see the rest then." He says softly to her, and then he proceeds to give her a soft kiss on the lips.

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At the border of Tristan and Germania.

Saito, Oriana, Siesta, and Kirche approach a checkpoint on horseback. They see people being turned away by border patrols.

"What's going on?" Siesta asks.

"They have been ordered to turn away most of the people entering into Germania. Because of the state of affairs, almost nobody is being allowed to enter or leave." Explains Kirche.

"Will this be a problem for us?" Asks Oriana.

"All of you should be fine because you are with me." Kirche confidently and comfortingly to the worried females.

As they get closer, they notice that there seems to be one person in particular that is in charge.

One side of Saito's mouth curls upward into a smile as he recognizes the man.

With the man's back mostly turned toward the oncoming group, he calls out.

"Next!"

Saito does a slow approach.

"Well Hello, Friedrich." Saito says in a very clear tone.

Instantly, the man stops looking at the papers on his clipboard. His head raises up while still being faced in the opposite direction of Saito and his group. The sound of the greeting rings through his head as he instantly recognizes it.

"No." He mutters lightly.

Saito's face appears in his vision, even without actually looking at him.

"It cannot be. It just cannot be. There has to be a mistake that I would run into the harbinger of chaos. Here, of all places."

He slowly turns his head and his eyes widen as Saito truly appears in his vision.

Saito gets a big grin on his face and waves at Friedrich.

The sigh that escapes Friedrich's mouth could be heard by everyone.

Just as he was about to throw his clipboard, an assistant runs up and grabs it from him just in time.

Friedrich turns toward the group and walks up to Saito and Kirche.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here, Friedrich. Last I saw, you were at the port city in Albion." Saito says to him.

"I was reassigned from there because of unforeseen circumstances, and then placed here."

"I know what those unforeseen circumstances are."

"I kind of figured that you would, but I am following protocol. That also means, unless I am told otherwise, that you are not allowed to enter."

"I believe that I can take care of that." Kirche says to Friedrich.

She pulls out the letter with her family crest on it and hands it to him.

After taking it and looking at it, he looks back at it.

"This takes care of you and Saito, milady. I recognize your maid, but who is the other?"

"Her name is Oriana. She is an ally of mine that I have come across along my journeys." Informs Saito.

"Well, that is good to hear, but they are not on this document. They are not allowed to enter."

"Excuse me?" Saito says with annoyance.

Siesta and Oriana look at each other with worry.

"They are not allowed to enter."

"They are coming with us." Saito tells Friedrich.

Kirche clears her throat to gain their attention.

"I appreciate how dedicated you are to your work, but my family will take full responsibility for those two as well. If you wish, we could always send a page out to my father, whom is probably very busy right now with other matters that are of more concern."

He abruptly turns around and walks over to the assistant that had taken the clipboard from him.

"Why is it that whenever HE comes around, everything that is nicely put into order gets thrown completely into the wind." He grumbles to himself.

He grabs a quill and writes down their names and then slams the quill back down.

"Thank you for your understanding." Kirche says with a smile on her face.

Friedrich forcefully smiles back at them.

"Have a safe journey." He says in return.

Just as Saito starts to pass by him, Friedrich stops him again.

"Saito."

"Yes Friedrich?"

"It is good to see you. May Brimir be on your side."

"Thank you."

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After a visit and layover at Kirche's family's mansion, everyone had set off again. They travelled deeper into Germania. As they entered further and further, the temperatures had gotten hotter and hotter. They had also come across patches of dry grasslands.

Saito was using his powers to create water for the thirsty and he also made it rain in other areas.

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Eventually, they make it to the place where the avatar had resided himself.

As they go into the city, the people barely look at them. Nobody approaches them and nobody looks at them in the eye.

The heat is nearly unbearable as well. Siesta and Oriana begin sweating heavily. Because he is the avatar of water, Saito is able to bear it. But, he can feel how the heat is taxing his powers.

"Well, this isn't a good sign."

There are pillars of fire everywhere they look.

"These people are probably being oppressed. They will probably be severely punished if they act any other way toward us." Oriana says to them.

"This is insane." Siesta says to everyone with sadness in her voice.

Saito nods in agreement.

"I cannot believe that a spirit would have its avatar do something like this." He says aloud.

'I suppose it is possible that the avatar was not ordered to do this and that his master just simply does not care what he is doing.' Tells Serena.

'He could simply be following a desire that Vasuman has.' Zephira finally speaks.

'It's about time that I heard from you Zephira. Why haven't you been speaking? Who is Vasuman?'

'Vasuman is the name of the fire spirit.' Zephira informs him.

'I thought you names aren't supposed to be spoken unless told and given permission?" He asks.

'It was a partial slip in the heat of the moment. You might as well know anyways, especially if you are going to be fighting his avatar. I will have nothing more to say on this matter though.'

'What the hell, Zephira. Don't you think that it would be good to inform me of things?'

He gets no response back from her.

"Damn it." He says aloud.

Oriana quirks an eyebrow.

"Is something the matter Saito?" Asks his maid.

"Something isn't being told to me."

"Helloooooo there." Comes a man's voice.

They all look forward and a man stands before them, in the center of the city. He is wearing a very simple outfit consisting of a plain shirt and pants.

"Have you come to try and defeat me as well?"

Saito leaves his horse with Oriana and walks towards the man.

"I came here to ask you to stop this insanity."

"No."

"Huh?"

"No. I will not stop. I have a goal in mind, and I am not going to let anyone dissuade me from my course."

Saito motions all around him.

"Is this really what you want? Do you really want all of the villagers to be fearful like this? The lands around here are on the verge of burning down because they are so dry. All living things are going to die if you continue to make it hotter and hotter."

"I don't care about these people. It's not like I have ever gotten treated well in my life. The only one to give me anything is my master. Besides, it's not like anyone has the power to stop me. I have faced army after army and they have all fallen before me."

"Then, I will have to stop you and this insanity."

The man starts laughing maniacally.

"That's a good one. It is just you and those three. What makes you think that you could defeat the avatar of fire?"

"I am the avatar of water and wind."

The man stops laughing and gets a more serious look on his face.

"So, you have finally showed up. I was wondering when the man who wielded the powers of the water avatar would show his face."

The stops and looks as though he is listening to something.

'He must be communicating with Vasuman.' Serena tells him.

"My master is really interested in the fact that you are also the avatar of the wind spirit. Perhaps killing you will more interesting than I thought."

"Why do we have to fight? What is it that you are after?"

"I want my master to be happy. He needs to be able to roam the entire planet freely. So I am going to make everything burn. I wish to do this for my master."

"But the spirits agreed to not cause that kind of calamity."

"So?"

Saito just grits his teeth.

'This man just seems to be gone, Saito. I am not sure if it is even worth talking to him. It seems like this man's hatred and power has corrupted him.' Chimes in Serena.

Saito sighs.

'I was hoping that it wasn't going to come to this.'

"Then I suppose that there is no other choice than for us to fight."

The man gets a very deranged smile on his face.

"Finally, a real challenge. Too bad that you are still going to lose. I do hope that you are going to make this fun for me."

He cracks his knuckles and gets into a fighting stance.

"Woah, woah, woah! I am not fighting you in here." Saito says while waving his hands.

"And why not?"

"I would rather not destroy this city and the people in it."

"Oh. You are no fun at all. It's not going to matter in the end anyways. This whole place will probably end up burning to the ground."

"Well, aren't you full of yourself?"

"I could say the same about you. You seem to be pretty confident that you are going to be able to beat as well. What is your name anyways? Since you are a fellow avatar, then I would like to know your name before I fight you."

"I am Saito."

"And I am Flint."

'I can see why he was chosen.' Saito inwardly muses.

"Very well. If you wish to do battle elsewhere, then I have the perfect spot."

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Flint leads them out to an area slightly outside of the city. The area looks as if he had purposely designed it as an area to do battle. The ground is scorched and there are pillars of fire here as well. The smell of burnt flesh fills the air.

Oriana looks around and then she looks at Saito with concern.

"I do not like this at all, Saito. This looks like a trap. We should not have followed him here."

Her pleas fall slightly deaf on him as he glares at Flint.

"He is the one that insisted that we fight away from the city. I just simply humored his request." Flint calmly says to her.

"I will still defeat him here, Oriana. Don't worry." Saito tries to reassuringly tell her in return.

"And what makes you so sure that you can defeat me?"

"I am the avatar to two spirits."

"That is a pathetic reason to think that you are going to win. So, what! Based upon what I have heard, you haven't exactly been an avatar very long at all. I have been building up my power for a lot longer than you have."

'Saito, you need to heed caution. This is not like any of your other foes. If what he is saying is true, then he could be a lot stronger than you as an avatar.' Serena tells him.

Saito gets into a fighting stance along with Flint. The other three back away from them.

'I have to win Serena. I always have come out on top.'

'I am serious, Saito. You need to listen to me carefully. . ' Serena starts to pleadingly say to him.

"Perhaps, after I am done with you, I will watch your friends die as I burn them to death."

At that moment, after hearing what Flint said, Saito sees nothing but rage.

"Yes." Flint whispers to himself.

"Body of water!"

With those words, Saito's eyes turn dark blue and he changes his form into water.

"Now, we have a fight! Scorching body!"

Flint's body combusts and bursts into flames.

"Let the raging waters of destruction flow forward."

"Oooooo. That sounds like fun. Fires that burn, raise everything before me.

"Water Blast!"

"Fire blast!"

Water blasts out from Saito, and fire blasts from Flint. Their spells collide and there is nothing but steam seen from the collision of their spells. After a moment, Flint's fires start to overpass Saito's water.

Saito grits his teeth as he tries to fight back the oncoming fires, but they keep pushing back his water blast.

"I told you, Saito, that I have been at this far longer than you have."

The fires reach Saito and blast him back.

He shakes off the blow and stands back up.

"Oh good, you're still able to play." Flint says to him.

"Serena! Great water spirit. Send forth never-ending storm clouds so that we may rain down on our enemies. Unyielding rain storm!" Saito yells out.

The skies roar with anger as storm clouds come in from out of nowhere. The sky becomes full with clouds from end to end in a matter of seconds.

Rain starts to drizzle down from the clouds.

"More."

The rain starts to come down harder.

"More."

The rain is pouring down.

Flint raises his arm to shield his eyes. His fiery body staves off some of the rain.

'I am glad that I am in my upgraded form of my elemental body, otherwise this might not bode so well for me. I cannot allow him to keep this up though without doing anything in return.' Flint says to himself.

While glaring with fiery red eyes, Flint spreads his arms wide open.

"Vasuman, great spirit of fire, relinquish your bonds and bring forth a heat to sear our enemy. Heat wave!"

A rush of heat blows into the area.

Saito feels the rush of heat, but he continues to focus on the rain.

"More!" Saito shouts out.

Rain pours down with such ferocity that even hurricanes can't compare to the amount of water coming down.

Siesta, Kirche, and Oriana, with their hoods now up, look at each other with a little bit of distress.

"I don't think we prepared for the right kind of weather." Oriana says to Siesta.

"I don't think that there is any way that we could have prepared for what we are about to go through." Retorts back the dark-haired maid.

The avatar of fire drops to a knee and grits his teeth.

His pillars of fire flicker with the rain.

"Two can play that game, Saito."

He clenches his hands into fists.

"Intensify."

The rises even more.

"Intensify."

The heat in the surrounding area becomes unbearably hot. So hot, that it starts to negate some of the water that is pouring down.

'Damn! Those two need to get out of here. I shouldn't have brought them here.' Saito scolds himself.

'You can't change what is done. They will have to make due the best that they can.' Serena tells him.

He points a hand towards his teammates.

"Earth, robust mother, answer my wishes and become a moving wall."

He makes a wall to give them at least a minor amount of protection.

Kirche also raises another wall for protection.

Flint takes the opportunity from Saito being distracted to cast another spell.

"Vasuman, rain fire down upon my enemy. Fire storm!"

Fireballs begin raining down from the sky.

After casting the wall spell, Saito sees the fireballs and draws Derflinger out. One fireball knocks him aside, and another one gets absorbed by Derflinger. Another one slams into the wall that he had just created.

White swirls in with the blue in his eyes and he lifts off of the ground. Using his wind avatar abilities, he flies over to the wall.

"Water shield!" He calls out and he makes a shield of water around them.

Then, he takes a moment to reinforce the wall that he had just made.

"I am so sorry, Saito. We are causing you nothing but trouble by being here." Siesta says to him.

Saito doesn't respond back as to keep his focus on everything else that is going on.

Flint begins walking towards Saito arrogantly.

With a hand out in front of him, he begins sending blasts of blue fire at Saito's shield.

The shield begins to flicker.

Saito stomps his foot on the ground and begins to saturate the ground.

"No." Responds Flint.

Flint stomps his foot on the ground and hot air blasts out from the ground. All of the water that was created steams away.

'I need to bring in some help.' Thinks Saito.

"Serena! Great water spirit. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

"Vasuman! Great fire spirit. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!" Flints chants in response.

Fourteen water elementals rise up around Saito.

Sixteen fire elementals rise up around Flint. Two of them are gargantuan in size, compared to Saito only having one that is that size.

They both send their armies towards each other.

With all of the heat in the area affecting their strength, and the fact that they are outnumbered, the water elementals quickly begin to lose headway quickly.

'Saito, you need to call upon your other elementals to aid you.' Serena says to him.

With a nod, he begins to summon wind elementals.

"Zephira! Great wind spirit. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

"So. You are able to summon double the elementals by calling upon your other avatar powers. Well, I can't let you get that much of an upper hand. Vasuman, send me a great guardian so that I may defeat the enemy before us."

Fire bursts out of the ground and forms a fire dragon. The dragon seems to be larger in size than the one that Saito had created during the battle against the mad king.

Flint quickly jumps onto his dragon and starts attacking the wind elementals that Saito is creating.

'This can't be happening. He keeps getting me at every turn.' Thinks Saito with heavy worry.

"Serena, send me a great guardian so that I may defeat the enemies before us."

The ground cracks and water starts bursting out from the ground. The water slowly gathers and begins taking shape into his own water dragon.

Saito uses his dragon to demolish the fire elementals.

After a few moments, Saito and Flint are the only ones left standing with their dragons. They both take their fight high into the air and engage in aerial combat.

The dragons bite and claw at each other. Blasts of water and fire shoot through the air as the dragons use their breath weapons against each other.

Saito flings wind blades at Flint's dragon, while Flint sends a relentless assault of fire blasts at Saito's dragon.

Both dragons take on heavy damage, but the victor can clearly be seen as Saito's dragon dissipates. He begins his fall towards the ground.

"This can't be happening, Oriana. He can't be losing." Siesta says to her with tears in her eyes.

"Body of air!"

With those words, Saito shifts from his water form to his air form while still plummeting towards the ground.

Flint flies down towards Saito and has his dragon use its breath weapon on him.

"Use me, brother!"

Saito holds Derflinger in front of him.

With the breath attack as a distraction, Saito gets slammed into the ground by a tail whip from the dragon. He drops Derflinger in the process.

Flint dismisses his dragon and slams onto the ground in front of Saito.

"I am loving the challenge that you have brought to me, dear Saito, but I think it is time that we should end this fight."

"I agree." Saito says as he gives flint an upper cut with his fist.

This knocks Flint back, which gives him the opportunity to swatch back to his water form.

'This is getting really tiresome Serena. I don't know how much longer I can hold out.'

'You have been too reckless, Saito. You need to retreat and rethink your strategy.' Serena says in response.

'I can't. I won't. I will defeat him here.'

'Damn it, Saito!'

'I just need to hold out a little bit longer.'

Saito balls up his fists and begins a fist fight with the avatar of fire.

Saito gets in several hits, which causes Flint to start resorting to just blocking.

'Saito fighting capabilities are not be taken lightly. I am glad that my fires are weakening his elemental power so that his strikes aren't affecting me as badly. I need to turn the tables though.'

Saito gets a good hit in across his jaw.

"Damn you, you bug!" Flint yells at him.

"What's the matter, Flint? Can't you take the heat?"

"I think that is exactly what I should be saying to you. Kindled body!"

Saito could feel the heat increase from Flint's body.

"Now, let's turn up the heat. Ignite!"

The red fires on his body change to orange flames.

Saito's punches begin to feel even weaker, and Flint takes this opportunity to begin fighting back.

They trade blows back and forth.

"Chilled body!"

Saito form shifts slightly and he begins to use his power to try to keep his body cool.

Flint grits his teeth.

"Ignite!"

"A second time?" Saito says aloud.

The flames on flint's body turn white and he continues striking Saito.

Saito switched to e defense, but the hot blows from flint take their toll on him. After a few moments, a hit from Flint sends Saito falling to the ground. Saito shifts back into his human form. He lays there, barely able to move.

"No!" Oriana calls out.

She starts running toward them.

Siesta takes off running after her with Kirche following not too far behind.

Oriana pulls out petals and creates some of her hounds. She is still pretty far away from where Saito is at.

"This is over, Saito." Flint says to him as he gets ready to cast another spell.

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In Albion.

Zephira takes form

'I am sorry, Saito. I have been terrible towards you, my avatar. Let me help you now.'

'I am out of strength. There is nothing more I can do.'

'Give in to me. Let me have control over your body and I will guide you to safety. I promise to make things right and I will tell you what I should have told you when you started this journey.'

'Very well.'

'Avatar, you and I are one. Your body and my body will be as one for this brief moment. You will become air as pure as mine.'

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Back on the battlefield.

Flint begins backing up as he chants a spell.

Red line starts shining through cracks in the ground. A definitive circle could be made out that is 40 feet in diameter, with Saito in the center.

Saito's loses consciousness, but his body changes into air.

After listening to his master, Flint grits his teeth.

'Damn cockroach.'

"Volcano!"

The ground within the circle blasts up into the sky in a pillar of lava.

"Nooooo!" Siesta, Oriana, and Kirche all shout.

After a rain of lava falls around the area, Oriana looks up and sees Saito floating in the sky. He is rising up higher and higher.

"Saito!" she shouts.

Siesta runs for Derflinger while Oriana creates a manta ray.

"And where do you think you are going?" Flint says to her.

He thrusts his fist into the ground and pulls up. He pulls up and what he grabs. The ground rips apart and reveals a 30 foot fire whip.

Oriana swoops around and is about to snatch Siesta when he whips her manta ray.

Her body rolls on the ground after the manta ray dissipates.

She screams, slams her fists on the ground, and gets up. Despite protests from Kirche and Siesta, she charges at Flint. She infuses her power with a couple of teeth that she pulls out of her pouch, and the teeth turn into dire bears.

"Fires that burn, raise everything before me. Water Blast!"

The bears jump in front of the blast and take the hit. They dissipate. She reaches into her pouch to get out some seeds.

She screams out in pain as the whip wraps around her ankles. It burns her skin. He yanks on it and she falls to the ground.

"I don't know what your power is, but no."

He begins dragging her towards him. She desperately claws at the ground as he pulls her.

Siesta and kirche start running for her.

"No. Don't! Just leave me. Get to safety!" She shouts out to them through tear filled eyes.

"I suggest you listen to her. Unless, you all want to die. I will let her live for now."

After a moment of hesitation, Kirche and Siesta regretfully retreat.

He looks at Oriana with an eerie glee in his eyes.

"You will pay for what you have done to my master!"

"Master? Good. Don't worry. I have a feeling that he will be coming back for you, his little pet. When he does, then you will witness his death. Then, when I am done with him, I will have my fun with you."

Her eyes go wide in horror from his implications, and he starts laughing.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story as we go into a story arc that isn't canon.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 8

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	59. Chapter 59: Old And New Acquaintances

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Fifty-Nine

Old And New Acquaintances

Albion.

At the same time that Saito was being blasted by the volcano.

Zephira floats above the rock formations where she resides.

'I am ashamed by my actions. I have failed my avatar because of my actions. I will make things right. First, I am going to send him to someone that will be of help.' Zephira thinks to herself.

"Wind spirits, hear my call and guide our guardian within the streams to the spirit that resides in Mount Blanc within the Fire Dragon Mountains."

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Mount Blanc, within the Fire Dragon Mountains of Galia.

A hooded woman is walking along the mountain by herself. She is wearing a navy colored cloak with blue robes underneath. Green hair sticks out from within the hood.

She hears and feels an odd breeze and looks in the direction that it came from. When she looks over, she sees a gaseous form making its decent from the skies.

She pulls down her hood and takes a better look at what is descending through her spectacles.

As she looks closer, the gaseous form begins to change into a human form, as if a spell was wearing off. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens in shock.

"There's no way! It can't be him!" Matilda yells out in shock.

Saito's body floats down and she catches him. She struggles to keep herself up from the dead weight of his body. She manages to keep him upright by embracing him close to her. She could tell by his looks that he had been through something pretty terrible.

For a brief moment, Saito looks up at her. She could see a dazed and glazed over look in his eyes.

"Help me." Is all he manages to mutter before closing his eyes and passing back out.

"What happened to you Saito?" she whispers out loud while she lays him on the ground.

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Meanwhile.

Siesta and Kirche decided to branch off to save time. Siesta ventured back to Tristan to grab Tiffania and went back to the palace to get together with the Queen.

Kirche went to Galia to inform her friend, Tabitha, about what happened.

Neither of them was happy about leaving Oriana behind, but they were left with no choice.

Everything was falling very heavily on the maid. Her mental state was being extremely taxed by Saito's loss, not knowing what has happened to Saito, and having to leave Oriana behind with a madman.

Kirche was in fear for her family, and about Saito as well. She knew that getting to Tabitha was a priority.

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Back on Mount Blanc.

Saito gets abruptly awoken by the sound of four voices yelling out his name. The voices included Serena, Zephira, Tiffania, and Tabitha.

He sits up and grabs his head.

"Ugh. Too many shouting voices."

'It's about time you awoke, my avatar.' Serena says to him.

'It's time. We have a lot to do now, and there is someone to meet.' Zephira tell him.

'I am okay, somehow.' He informs both Tabitha and Tiffania.

'Thank the spirits that you are alright. I was so worried about you. Where are you?'

'Saito, are you hurt?' Asks Tabitha.

He looks himself over and then looks around. He notices that there was some cloth put under where his head was as a pillow. He also sees a picnic basket. He looks at oddly. His shirt is off and there is some bandaging on a couple of his wounds.

'I ache, and I am a little worse for wear. But it is nothing too serious. Someone must have taken care of some of my wounds.'

He stands up. There are boulders around the cliff that he is on. Behind his is another mountain facing, and in front of him is the edge of the cliff. He scratches his head as he looks over.

'I have no idea where I am though. It looks like I am on a mountain, but where the hell is this mountain?'

His eyes go wide with worry and he starts frantically looking around.

'Do you know where Siesta, Kirche, and Oriana are?' He asks them both individually.

'Kirche came to me and told me what happened. I am sorry.' Says Tabitha.

'Siesta came for me right after everything happened.' Tiffania informs him.

He feels a heaviness coming from both of them, and he gets worried.

'Where is Oriana?' He asks.

There is a long pause from both of them.

'Where is Oriana?' He asks again, except in a more elevated tone.

Tabitha decides to speak up. So, she just tells him without beating around the bush.

'She . . . was captured.'

"No!" He shouts out.

He could feel her presence through their bond.

'Oriana, are you there? Please speak to me.'

No response.

'Talk to me, Oriana. I need to know that you okay.' He calls to her again with even more worry.

'I . . . am . . . alive, . . . . Master.'

He could hear the strain in her voice, and feel her anxiety.

'Where are you?'

'Don't . . . worry about . . . me. . . . Don't . . come . . for me. . . Just . . . . stay away.'

'I can't do that. There is no way I can do that.'

'You'll . . be . . . coming . . . right into . . . a trap . . . if you come.'

'I am going to come for you. I am not going to let you go. I care for you too much. I don't care if I even have to go through hell itself. I am coming for you.'

He could feel her calm down a little bit.

'I want . . . you . . to be . . . . safe. . . . Your words . . . warm . . . my heart, but . . . . you can't come. . . . Stay alive.'

'Has he hurt you?'

'I'm . . . hurt, but . . it's nothing . . . I can't . . . endure.'

'Has he . . . touched . . . you?'

'Not . . . yet.'

He grits his teeth.

'I am so sorry that you are going through what you are going through. This is all my fault. I promise that I am coming back for you. Just hang in there a little longer.'

He balls up his fist.

"I am going to make him pay dearly for what he has done." He says aloud.

He positions himself at the edge of the cliff.

'I feel weak, but I have to go get her back.' He thinks to himself.

He was about to jump off and transform.

"And where do you think that you are going, avatar?" A voice asks.

The voice sounded feminine, but deep and grumbly. It echoes throughout the area.

He turns around, but he doesn't see anyone.

"Who's here?" He asks.

"I am here, in the mountain before you."

He takes a closer look at the mountainside and a face appears.

"Who are you, and how do you know that I am an avatar?"

"I am the earth spirit that resides within this mountain range."

'This is who I said that you have to meet.' Zephira says to him.

"You floated here in your wind form."

"Were you the one that bandaged me and left the basket?"

"No."

"No?"

"That was done by a mutual acquaintance of ours. It was a woman with green hair. She didn't stick around too long though. She said that her presence might cause some trouble."

'Could she mean Foquet?' He wonders.

"You must be out of energy. Please sit down and eat the food that was left for you, Saito."

He sits down and begins to rifle through the basket. He pulls out some bread and some fruit.

"So, did this woman tell you who I was?"

"Yes, but I've known who you are for quite some time now."

"Let me guess, the walls talked to you." He says jokingly.

She starts laughing. The mountain rumbles lightly and some rocks shake off of the mountain as she laughs.

"That was very funny, young avatar. I will have to remember that one. You are right though. In a sense, the walls did talk to me. Your presence was made quite well known recently. You fought quite the battle here in Galia not too long ago."

"We're in Galia?" He asks in astonishment.

"Yes. You are on the Fire Dragon Mountains in Galia."

'How the hell did I travel so far?'

'I did that, Saito. In the last moments of the battle, you handed yourself over to me and I changed you into your wind form. I brought you here through a stream of wind high in the sky.' Zephira tells him.

"I assume that Zephira had sent you here. Am I wrong?" The earth spirit asks him.

He nods.

"You are right. I am not sure why she had particularly sent me here just yet, but I had lost a battle against Vasuman's avatar. Zephira had sent my unconscious body here."

'That must also be why I am so hungry. It must have used a lot of energy to get me here.' He muses.

"She must have sent you here to get some guidance."

'That is exactly why.' Zephira adds.

"But, I have to get back there right away. I don't have time to stay. I have a friend in trouble that was captured by that madman."

"Do you really think that you are in any condition to go back right now? You lost against him once. Do you even have a new plan of attack against him or are you just going to blindly charge in and use the same tactics that you already tried? I don't even know why the two of you were fighting anyways."

"But Oriana is in trouble."

'Saito, he has kept her alive so far. If he was going to kill her, he probably would have done it already. She is bait to make sure you come back and fight him again.' Serena calmly tells him.

He sighs aggravatingly.

"Fine. All of you win."

"Good. Now tell me about what happened." The earth spirit says to him.

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In Galia.

Tabitha and Kirche get on Sylphid.

"Are you sure this is alright? Don't you have a lot of duties here?" Kirche asks her.

Tabitha just simply nods.

"My lover needs me."

"Ooooooo. Lover, eh?" She says in a implicative manner.

Tabitha blushes.

"So, where are we going then?" Asks the red headed German.

"Germania. He will go back there."

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Back at the mountain.

"So, you were defeated by him even though you have the powers of two avatars."

He nods sadly.

"You were foolish. That is why you lost."

He looks up at her and is about to refute.

"But. ."

"No excuses, Saito. You were too arrogant from all of your other wins. You did not prepare yourself to face another avatar, especially one that had been an avatar far longer than you. You focused too much on your water abilities." She says sternly to him.

"But water is the opposite of fire."

"You are right, but you needed to use both of your abilities to compensate for the difference in strength. You tried to face him head on and he beat you at every angle.

He bows his head in defeat.

"Did you even think about combining your powers?"

He lifts his head to look at her and cants it to the side in perplexingly.

"You mean use both powers at the same time? Is that even possible?"

"I don't know, but why not? We don't know because we have never shared an avatar before. But, who's to say that you can't? Mages can combine elements to make more powerful spells. Why couldn't you?"

"The thought never crossed my mind."

'It might use up your power quicker, but perhaps she is right.' Serena adds.

'It is worth giving a shot. By combining spells, it would give you more time to cast other spells.' Zephira chimes in as well.

"If you are able to use your abilities in sync, then I do have a proposal for you as well." Says the earth spirit.

"What kind of proposal is that?"

"I know of something that could possibly help you with your battle against the avatar of fire. In return, you will end up giving me your services as well."

"Meaning?"

"We could make you my avatar as well. It was Zephira that sent you to me. So, she must have had a very good reason to send you here."

Saito sits down as a conference begins in his head.

'So, I would end up sharing you with yet another spirit.' Serena says to him in annoyance.

'Was this your plan, Zephira?'

'This outcome did cross my mind. I wasn't sure if she actually would do this, but it was a possibility. I had failed you. This was one way that I wish to try to make it up to you.'

'You are okay with sharing me?'

'I have no right to refuse. Besides, this is becoming interesting. This has never been done before. I wish to see what you will able to accomplish. You have proven yourself to have a good heart. You have not become a power hungry tyrant. Yes, you did make an outright attack against Joseph, but it was not without warrant.' Zephira says back in response.

'Serena, if you are truly uncomfortable with this, then I will not do this. You are the one that I originally came to for help when I needed it. Zephira is okay with and seems entertained by the idea of me becoming the avatar to another spirit.'

'I am not fond of sharing you even more. The earth spirit did say that she has something that might be able to aid you get your friend back. Just remember that the time will come when we have you do things for us. These quests could possibly end up interfering with your own goals. If you are still willing to accept this, then that is on you.' Serena tells him earnest.

He nods.

'Zephira, I still need an explanation from you. You kept me in the dark and you kept quiet almost the whole time. You said that you were going to tell me what I needed to know. So, now is the time to fess up.'

'Very well. I owe it to you. Vasuman and I have a past together. I suppose, in your words, you might have called us lovers. We were together when the world was in chaos. He loved me. But, over time, the face of the world changed. So we had drifted apart. He must have become very bitter and enraged by our separation. I was torn when I found out that you were fighting his own avatar and I held back. I have seen the error in my ways. It was almost too late. I had almost let you perish because of it. I am deeply sorry for this.'

'Thank you for telling me, Zephira. Now, a lot more makes sense. His interest in you and the fact that Flint wanted to make it to where his master could roam anywhere he wanted.'

'Flint was wrong in what he was doing and he should be stopped. I cannot let my past with Vasuman cloud my judgment.'

'I am glad to have you back with us, Zephira.'

"There is another reason why I am offering this to you, Saito."

"Why is that?"

"I am offering my powers to you because of who you are. I saw the runes on your back. I knew something was familiar about you."

"You know what they mean? Please tell me."

"If you do not already know, then I assume that there is a reason why. So, I am not going to tell you."

Saito falls over out of frustration.

'I should remember to break Derflinger over this.'

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While in Siesta's possession.

Derflinger makes a loud clank as he sneezes.

Siesta looks down at him.

"Did you just sneeze?"

"Yes."

"Can you even get a cold?"

"That's not possible."

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On the mountain.

Saito stands up.

"Alright. I accept."

Just after he says that, the mountain starts rumbling.

"Is this an earthquake?" He shouts out.

A 20 foot humanoid figure breaks away from the mountainside in front of him.

It shakes and bits of rock fall off of it as if it was being chiseled at.

The rocks eventually stop falling and the humanoid figure is now in the shape of a voluptuous woman. Her breasts are each the size of a boulder. Her structure is slightly thicker in frame, but proportioned nicely. Her hair, if you want to call it that, is short and straight in its cut and has no movement.

A hole is left in the side of the mountain where she had broken out from.

As she walks toward Saito, the sounds of rocks grinding against each other can be heard. Despite the sound, her movements are very fluid-like.

She shrinks down to a normal size to become a little more presentable to him.

She stands right in front of him.

'I'm sorry girls. I am so going to be dead over this.' He thinks to himself.

She puts her arms around his neck. The weight from her arms nearly make his knees buckle.

'Damn. I would have never thought that she would weigh this much judging her physique. She must be quite dense.' He thinks to himself.

'I wouldn't tell her that if I were you.' Serena says to him.

'Duly noted.' He replies.

The earth spirits gets her face right by his ear.

She whispers into his ear.

"You may call me Kesia."

"Kesia." He repeats.

She kisses him. It's as he expected. Her lips are hard, but smooth. They're slightly cool to the touch. She shifts one of her arms down so that it is around his side and touching his back. She pulls him in closer.

Her body is also as hard, but in warms him in the embrace as if he was laying against a rock that had beaten on by the sun's warmth.

Sand begins circling around them.

Sand enters into him through their kiss. Unable to break away from her or even gasp for air, he feels as though he is going to die. Everything starts to go black around him. Then, the feeling goes away.

She looks at him with a smile.

"You're rock hard now, aren't you?" She asks.

He sighs.

"Are all of you like this?" He asks.

"Now it is time to begin your training, my avatar. Since you are in such a rush, we are going to start right now." She says to him in a serious tone.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story as we go into a story arc that isn't canon.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 9 – Finally updated

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	60. Chapter 60: Earthquake

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty

Earthquake

After flying through another slip stream, Saito arrives back in Germania. He is back in the same place where he had last fought Flint.

There are even more pillars of fire around than before.

"So, you have decided to come back. I was getting a little worried that you weren't going to show. I had the feeling you would be back though. Your little pet is here after all." Flint says to him.

Then, he motions to a chained up Oriana way behind him.

Saito could see all kinds of burn marks on her. He could see the ones on her ankles, and he could also see all kinds of other ones on her. Her cheeks were flush from all of the heat. She was kneeling on the ground, but the chains were keeping her arms in the air. He could sense that she is also very dehydrated and weak.

He grits his teeth and he seethes with anger.

'You shouldn't have come for me.' She communicates to him.

'There was no way that I was going to abandon you with this asshole. He is going to pay for what he has done to you.' He communicates back to her.

Flint could see how angry he was getting and he smirks.

'Saito, you have to calm down.' Serena tells him.

'You went into the last battle enraged like this, and look where it got you?' Reminds Zephira.

'You have to remember everything that we trained you for. If you fail again, then you fail Oriana.' Kesia informs him.

He sighs, and then he looks at the foe before him.

"I can't forgive what you have done, Flint."

"I don't care. I beat you once already. You got lucky and survived last time. I will rectify that this time and then have my way with her when I am done with you."

Saito stares at him with a great deal of hate.

"And this time you don't even have your sword with you."

Footsteps can be heard running toward them.

"He sure does. Saito!"

Saito looks over and sees Siesta running toward him. She throws Derflinger toward him.

"Hey Partner!" Derf says to him.

Saito catches him and unsheathes him.

"Thanks, Siesta."

After that, she starts retreating.

"Well, no matter. That still isn't going to affect the outcome of this battle." Flint chides back.

"This battle is probably going to go differently than last time, Flint."

"We shall see. I hope to at least get a better battle out of you than last time."

'We are here to help you.' Tabitha communicates to him.

'We?' He asks.

'Eleonore is here as well. Don't worry. We are at a pretty safe distance right now.'

'How can I not worry? Oriana got captured because of my blundering.'

'It will be okay. Just stay focused on Flint and we will take care of ourselves.'

'Alright.'

"Scorching body." Flint's body lights on fire with those words.

"Body of water."

Flames begin to emit from Flint's hand and start taking the shape of a fiery long sword.

"Bring it!" Saito shouts out to him.

Flint swings at him with a downward swing. A trail of fire follows its wake as he swings. Saito evades it by tumbling out of the way but he feels the heat from it.

"What's the matter? Are you too afraid to produce your own elemental weapon?"

"No. I don't need another weapon."

Flint takes a sideways swing at him, but he uses Derflinger to block it this time. The area where flint's flame sword touches Derflinger glows slightly as it absorbs some of its power.

He takes swing after swing at Saito. Each time, Saito blocks with Derflinger.

'I could easily get within close range. He is not that great of a swordsman compared to Agnes, but I want to weaken his sword a little bit more.'

Each time he blocks, a little bit more energy gets taken away from the fiery sword.

Flint goes to stab at him and Saito blocks it to the side. As he does this, he braces his other hand against Derflinger. He runs along the blade towards Flint to get within close range. The fiery sword dissipates as he does this.

The fire avatar gets a shocked look on his face as this happens.

Saito rotates Derflinger and swings him into Flint's side.

The actual action doesn't do too much to flint, but he does feel a little bit of pain.

'Why am I feeling any pain at all?' Flint asks himself, and then he looks down at where the sword is at.

He could see and feel some of the fires being absorbed by Saito's sword.

He quickly jumps away while gritting his teeth. He holds out his hand and fire starts spewing out of it. The fires make a circle around Saito.

'Not yet, Saito.' Kesia tells him.

First, he stomps his foot on the ground to create a wave of water. Then he twirling his hands in the air.

The circles of fire begin to close in, but then they start moving in a way that was not being controlled by Flint. The flames get sucks into a funnel. The funnel of a tornado as it forms around Saito.

The water gets sucked in by the tornado and douses the flames inside.

'Now he is using more of his wind powers. I am really going to have to watch his tactics this time.' Flint tells himself.

Saito sends the tornado into Flint's direction and sucks him into it.

Wind blades within the tornado start striking him. He also steams slightly from some of the water that was left in the tornado.

"Damn it!" Hollers Flint.

He curls up into a ball and then spreads himself open again.

"Petrol explosion!"

The explosion he creates causes enough of a disturbance in the tornado for him to quickly fly out.

Saito dismisses the tornado.

"Body of air." He yells out and changes his form and to take the battle to the air.

"Flame blade."

Much like the wind blade, blades of flames fly through the air at Saito.

"Wind blade." Saito yells out as he launches his own blades to counter.

The flame blades smash through his wind blades, but he still manages to dodge the remnants.

In the air, Saito manages to run circles around Flint.

"You might be able to fly, but I am the avatar of wind."

Saito flies over top of him.

"Let the raging waters of destruction flow forward. ."

"We've done this one before, Saito. Fires that burn, raise everything before me."

"And winds of chaos, blow our enemies away."

'What?' Flint wonders as he hears Saito add on to his spell.

"Fire blast!"

"Water and wind blast!"

Fire blasts up from Flint as Saito blast a mixed spell of wind and water down at Flint.

For a brief moment, Flint's fire holds its own, but the tides quickly turn against him and the blast of water and wind overpower the fire.

"Shit!" The fire avatar yells out as he gets blasted back down to the ground.

As he stands back up, Saito lands on the ground.

"Yeild, Flint!"

"No. We already discussed this."

Saito sighs.

'I give you credit for trying again.' Serena remarks to him.

"Vasuman! Great fire spirit. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

"Two can play that game. Serena, Zephira! Great spirits of wind and water. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

Elemental servants begin rising up all around the respective castors.

"How are you doing that? How are you able to cast double the spell?"

"I am not doubling the spell. I am combining spells and casting two at the same time."

He watches in worry. Singly, he has the advantage of number and power, but Saito has the advantage in number.

'Even if mine are not as powerful as his, I will win by number.

Flint and Saito send their armies out.

Saito takes advantage of the confusion created from all of the elementals converging and he starts making his way around the group.

"You're not going to get away from me that easily, avatar. Just because you changed your form, doesn't mean that you don't give off a heat signature."

He reaches into the ground and pulls out the fire whip that he used on Oriana.

Flint lands a strike right next to Saito. Saito feels the heat from the whip though.

"May the waters around me be used as weapons to shoot down my enemies. Water cannon!"

Water spins around to form multiple balls surrounding Saito.

Flint attacks with his whip while Saito dodges and counter attacks. Every time he fires, he purposely fires past flint at another target.

"You've got some pretty lousy aim, Saito." He says t him.

"Are you sure?" Saito retorts back.

Vasuman speaks to him and he starts looking around. He sees that many of his pillars of flame have been doused and extinguished.

"Let the raging waters of destruction flow forward. Water blast!" Saito chants.

Flint looks forward just in time to get blasted with water. Steam begins rising off of him.

Saito continues the onslaught and even begins stepping toward his foe.

"Wall of fire!"

A wall of fire rises up from the ground and blasts up between the two of them.

"I am not going to go down that easily, Saito."

He grits his teeth and starts chanting another spell.

"Vasuman, send me a great guardian so that I may defeat the enemy before us."

Fire bursts out of the ground and forms a fire dragon like it did in the last battle.

'Now, Saito!' Kesia says to him.

"Serena, Zephira, and Kesia, send me your great guardians so that I may defeat the enemy before us."

"What the hell? Another name? I didn't know that you have the powers of yet another avatar."

Instead of one or two dragons forming around him, there are three that form.

Saito can feel a huge drain in his power as he does this.

Flint quickly jumps onto his dragon and flies up.

"Vasuman, rain fire down upon my enemy. Fire storm!"

Fire balls start raining down from the sky.

The dragons that Saito was creating finish forming just in time to use their breath weapons against the oncoming fireballs.

Flint looks horrified as he stares at all of the dragons.

Saito gets on the wind dragon and they all take off flying after Flint.

With Saito and his dragons trailing behind him, Flint heads for the nearby city.

'I don't like where he is going.' Saito thinks to himself as he starts speeding ahead on his wind dragon.

He manages to catch up to him before he gets to the city, but it's very close.

The dragons all starts battling. Flint focuses his attacks on the water dragon.

Saito launches ice lances at Flint and his dragon while the other two dragons do combinations of bite, breath and tail attacks.

Even though he manages to take out the water dragon, his fire dragon dissipates from all of the other damage it has taken and he flies himself toward the ground.

"Damn you, Saito!" Flint shouts angrily at his foe.

"You said that you wanted a challenge."

"Fine! Then let's see if you can handle this.

'I don't like the sound of that.'

"Vasuman. Spew rivers of fire and incinerate this town. Lava flow!"

The earth shakes around him and lava begins pouring out of the ground and starts flowing toward the city.

"That son of a bitch!"

Flint takes off running back to his lair.

'We will deal with him later, unless you don't wish to save the people of that city.' Zephira says to him.

He dismisses the earth dragon and flies a little bit ahead of the lava flow. He gets off of his dragon and stands before the lava flow.

He switches back to his human form, but his eyes start glowing orange. He balls up his fists at his sides.

"Kesia. Spirit of earth. Lend me your power and let us shake and crack the ground before me."

His fists glow orange.

With a lunge, he smashes both of his fists into the ground with them apart.

'I almost feel like I should have said Hulk smash just now.' He muses to himself.

An earthquake hits the area and the ground opens up in front of him, forming a deep horizontal fissure.

With a wave of a hand, water begins flooding into it.

The lava flows into the fissure.

"Now to get back to Flint."

He hops back onto the wind dragon and flies in Flint's direction.

Flint gets near his territory, but Saito catches up to him.

"This changes nothing. I am going to roast you."

Saito jumps off of the dragon and faces Flint.

"Serena! Great water spirit. Send forth never-ending storm clouds so that we may rain down on our enemies. Unyielding rain storm!" Saito yells out.

The skies roar with anger as storm clouds come in from out of nowhere. The sky becomes full with clouds from end to end in a matter of seconds.

Rain starts to drizzle down from the clouds.

Flint counters it just the same as before.

"Vasuman, great spirit of fire, relinquish your bonds and bring forth a heat to sear our enemy. Heat wave!"

A rush of heat blows into the area.

"More."

"Intensify."

"More!"

"Intensify."

This time, Saito switches tactics from what he did before.

"Zephira. let us bring in freezing cold air from the caps. Polar winds!"

Cold air rushes in, taming the heat given off by Flint's spell. This also causes the rain that Saito had summoned to come in full force.

Flint growls at him.

"I will still burn you to death."

He begins heating up his body.

'It's time to use the tactic that I taught you.' Kesia tells him.

Saito puts away his sword.

"Maphic body."

With that, Saito's body changes to a rock hard body.

The two avatars begin exchanging blows.

Flint intensifies the heat radiating off of his body. His hits cause Saito's body to glow from the heat, but the rain cools him back down along with a cooling affect that he is using from his water abilities. Every time his body cools off, it changes color and texture slightly.

His body becomes harder and denser with every heating and cooling off cycle that he goes through.

Saito's punches begin surpassing Flint's ability to take the hits.

After a while, Flint's fires begin to extinguish and he gets sent flying to the ground from a punch to the face.

He clutches his face and glares at Saito as he struggles to stand up.

Before Saito can send another punch at him, Flint holds out his hand.

"That's enough. If you come any closer I will kill the girl!"

Saito stops in his tracks.

"That's right. If you come any closer, then you will watch her burn to death."

Saito grits his teeth.

"Now kneel before me."

Just after saying that, he starts trying to reignite the fires on his body.

He gets blasted from two sides by water.

"Don't you dare kneel to wretched being!" Comes Eleonore's voice.

"Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Saito looks around and sees Tabitha and Eleonore.

Flint growls in anger.

"I'm not done yet!"

Two fenrir hounds come up from behind him. One latches onto his ankle and another onto his arm.

Far behind them is Oriana being supported by Siesta.

"Flare."

"Ignite."

With those two spells, both of the fenrir hounds disappear.

"I am sorry that it had to come to this." Saito says to him.

'He has killed too many and then he even hurt and threatened the women around me.'

Saito starts charging at him and chants a spell under his breath.

He slams his fist into Flint's chest as he shouts out.

"Earthquake!"

The punch sends the fire avatar flying backwards. Inside, his heart bursts and he coughs up blood. His chest cavity cracks open.

Saito collapses onto the ground from exhaustion and changes back to normal.

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The following day.

Saito wakes up in a bed that he recognizes as being in Kirche's house. He looks over and sees Eleonore in the room with him.

"Good morning, Saito. How are you feeling?"

He sits up.

"I ache, but I am fine."

"That is good. I should tell the others. We've been taking turns watching over you. We also healed what wounds you did have."

"Thank you, but how . . "

"Did we get here?" She finishes his sentence.

He nods.

"It's a long story, but let's just say that Friedrich has a lot more respect for you than you might think. I don't think that he would actually tell you that though."

He smirks at her comment, but then he gets worried look on his face.

"How is Oriana."

Eleonore crosses her arms.

"She has been a little bit of a pain. Her injuries are healed but she has been constantly doting on you and checking on you even when someone else is in here with you. I managed to get some decent time in simply because she decided to go to sleep."

"Geez. I am surprised that she didn't try coming to bed with me."

"Tabitha stepped in and wouldn't have it. She slept with you for a while instead."

He chuckles a little bit.

"You should check on Oriana though. I think that she might really need you after that whole ordeal."

He nods.

"Thanks, Eleonore." He says to her and then gives her a passionate kiss before leaving.

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In Oriana's room.

He softly closes the door behind him.

She stirs awake and looks over to him from her bed. He could tell that she hasn't slept much.

She smiles at him and starts crying.

He rushes over to her and sits on the bed. She sits up and wraps her arms around him.

"I am so sorry that happened to you. I am going to do everything within my power to make sure that doesn't happen again."

She shakes her head while still crying into his chest.

"I am just glad we both made it out of this okay. I made mistakes too."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 9

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	61. Chapter 61: Oriana's Battle

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

 **XXX Important note XXX –** I am adding an omake to chapter 49 for all of those Cattleya fans.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-One

Oriana's Battle

After having met with the royalty of Germania Saito's group had crossed the border and are on their way back to Tristan's capital.

They take a break for a moment to give the horses a rest and a drink.

While leaning against a rock, Saito looks at a medal that was pinned to the chest of his outfit.

"You should be very proud of that." Tabitha says to him.

He looks up at her.

"That medal is only handed out to members of the Germanian army for their excellence in battle." Eleonore adds.

Siesta swoons over her master and boyfriend while sitting next to him and latched onto his arm. Her desire to cling to him had kicked in again.

'The last time she was this clingy was when I had just came back from the battle in Albion.' He thinks to himself.

Oriana was strapped to his other arm. She had a light smile on her face as she listens to the praise her master was getting.

Everyone could still tell that she was still shaken by the whole ordeal though. So, nobody wanted to protest her being by his side.

Saito keeps sending comforting signals to her through their bond.

'I think it's time I took care of her scars. I wanted to do that a while ago, but everything has been so hectic ever since she even came around.' Thinks Saito.

"Saito is a big hero, yeah?" Sylphid says aloud to everyone.

Tabitha gets a light blush on her face as she thinks about how wonderul a fiancé she has.

Similar thoughts and blushes go across everyone else's faces as well.

Saito blushes in embarrassment.

"I'm no hero. I just want to protect the people I love and care for." He says to them.

"Hero." Plainly states Tabitha.

Oriana nods in agreement.

'Definitely my hero.' Oriana communicates to him as she gives his arm a little more of a squeeze.

"It was nice of them to give this to me even though I'm not a part of their army." He says.

While putting her hands on her hips, Eleonore gives him a stern look.

"You didn't really give them much other choice than to give that to you though. You wouldn't accept anything else that they tried to offer you."

Siesta giggles a little bit.

"That is our Saito though. What really amused me was not what happened at the meeting with the royalty." Siesta says in response.

"What was that?" He asks.

"It was the surprised look on Eleonore's face when Kirche's mother gave her a hug."

Eleonore blushes and nearly stumbles over as she remembers the experience.

Tabitha even smiles as she remembers it as well.

"Knowing that your two families have been at odds for years, that was rather amusing." He says to Eleonore.

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At the palace.

"Saito, I think that it is time that we put your plan into place and get married." Announces Henrietta.

Everyone, except for Tabitha and Agnes, looks over to her in shock.

"What brought that on?" Eleonore politely asks.

"My mother has been pushing me to get married." She replies.

"Mine has as well. I have just been waiting for the right moment to bring it up. There is a lot of distrust in my mother as a leader. So, I am supposed to take over being Queen. My mother and her advisors are saying that I should also have a husband." Adds Tabitha.

Sylphid nods her head in confirmation.

He scratches his head.

"I know that I am the one that brought it up, but this whole thing still seems so surreal to me."

"Are you changing your decision?" Chimes in Agnes.

He quickly waves his hands to dismiss her worry.

"No. Not at all. I want to do this."

A hint of sadness comes over Oriana and she just looks at the floor.

Henrietta comes over and gives him a hug and a kiss.

"Good. I am very happy. So, are we ready to do this then?" She asks Saito and Tabitha.

She also holds her hand out to Tabitha.

Tabitha smiles and grabs Henrietta's hand as she walks over.

"I am ready." Tabitha announces.

Saito looks at them both lovingly.

"I am too." He tells them.

"Then we have a lot to do in preparation." Says the Queen.

Saito narrows his eyes in slight worry.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"We need to start making more public appearances together. They need to see us together." She replies.

"Right now you have the reputation, but the people from both countries need to see you together an order for them to start accepting your dual monarchy. It's a big deal, especially since it has not been done before and the fact that it goes against the idea of marriage between one man and one woman." Chimes in Eleonore.

Agreeing with Eleonore, Agnes nods.

'This is going to be a pain.' Saito thinks while rubbing his forehead.

"We should look at wedding dresses together." Henrietta gleefully says to Tabitha.

Tabitha blushes as she imagines Saito looking at her in a wedding dress.

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Later that evening, back at his mansion, Saito knocks on Oriana's door.

"Come in."

As he opens the door and goes into her room, he sees her smiling at him from her bed. She just casually sitting there on the side of the bed with her feet on the floor.

"I could feel it was you on the other side." She says pleasantly to him.

He smiles back at her.

'I'm glad that I never gave up her. ' He muses to himself.

"What can I do for you?" She asks.

He pulls up a chair and sits in front of her.

"It's not what you can do for me. It's what I can do for you."

"What do you mean?"

"It's about time I took care of those scars of yours. So much has happened since you had come here that I never really had the chance to take care of them right away. I wanted to make sure I took care of those before I started this stuff with Tabitha and Henrietta."

Trying to ignore her jealousy, she quickly moves on after hearing his comment about Tabitha and Henrietta.

"So what do we do?" She asks.

He scratches the back of his head.

"Well, I kind of need to be able to see the scars for me to do what I need to do."

She gets an uncertain look on her face. She likes the idea of him seeing her naked, but the memories of her scars pop into her head. He could feel the tension in her heart.

After feeling this tension, he quickly walks up to her and gives her a hug.

"It's going to be okay. I think that you really needed this to move on."

She returns his hug and nods.

After he returns to his chair, she slowly starts stripping off her clothes. First, she takes off the gloves and boots. Then she slides off her pants. He tries not to stare at her undressing.

"I don't mind you seeing me. I've already shown myself to you before."

"I know, but I also don't want to seem like a huge pervert."

A smile crosses her face.

'I really like him. I don't think it would matter if he was a bit of a pervert or not.' She thinks to herself as she takes off her corset top and exposes herself.

Then, she finally slides off her panties and lies on the bed.

"I am ready." She simply says to him.

He looks back over to her and takes a big gulp as he sees her naked body.

Many thoughts run through his head as he gets up from the chair and walks toward the bed. All of the memories of her up to this point flash through his head as he sits on the edge.

The color in his eyes turn dark blue as his powers activate.

"Alright, Oriana, I am going to start."

She nods and closes her eyes.

He glances over all of the scars on her body and shakes his head.

'It makes me really angry to see what her previous masters have done to her over the years. I couldn't even fathom doing anything like this. She is intelligent and beautiful.'

He picks up one of her arms.

'I am glad that I can do this for her.'

While thinking that, he sends warm and comforting feelings to her through their bond.

This seems to help as he feels some of the tension that she had start to loosen up.

He puts the tip of his index finger at the top of one of the scars.

While a flash comes to her of when she got the scar appears in her head, she quickly turns her head away from him.

"Are you alright?" He asks out of concern.

She nods.

'I am going to have to pay close attention to her. I bet a lot of weight is holding in every scar that she has.'

The scar disappears as he swipes his finger down it.

A slight tingling sensation is felt for a brief moment, but then it goes away, just like the scar.

Tears begin to well up in her closed eyes.

He takes another swipe along a scar and tears start streaming down her face. She tries to wipe them away, but they just keep coming.

"Are you okay? Did that hurt?"

She shakes her head.

"It's not hurting at all. I don't know why, but these tears just started coming and I can't stop them."

"Should I stop?"

Again, she shakes her head.

"No. Please keep going."

With a nod to her, he continues on and begins swiping more of the scars away.

With each scar that goes away, she feels as though a great weight is being lifted away as well.

Swipe after swipe, the scars go away one after another. He keeps his pace pretty steady through this whole process. Slowly, he body becomes cleared of all of the scars. He clears away the scars on her arms, and then the legs. Then he clears them off of her stomach and back. Finally, he addresses the scars on her butt.

After finishing the last of her scars, he wipes his forehead.

"It took quite a long time, but we are all finished."

She quickly flips over and sits up to look over herself to see all of the scars gone. A huge smile makes its way to her face and she beams from end to end. During the excitement of being scar free, she grabs him by the shirt and pulls him in for a kiss.

As they both end up blushing, he also feels warmth and happiness coming from her. He pulls after a moment. Then it hits her what she just did.

"I am so sorry, Saito. I did that without asking. Please, forgive me. I was just so overcome with joy that I did that."

He waves his hands.

"It surprised me, but I guess I can't argue with you why you did it. I can only imagine how you must feel after all this time."

She bows to him.

"Thank you for understanding."

"There is still one more thing that I want to take care of tonight."

She gives him a puzzled look.

"What is it that you want from me?"

"I want you to face the bond."

"Face the bond?"

"I need you to lock away the bond so that it can't influence you anymore, just like I did."

"Is that how you are able to act so freely? Do you think that I am even ready?"

"I didn't push it before because I was still a little unsure about you, but I am confident now. I also don't want you to go through hell because I am going to be marrying Tabitha and Henrietta. The green-eyed monster is a very dangerous opponent."

"Green-eyed monster?"

"It's technically not really a monster, rather an emotion. Jealousy."

She looks down for a moment.

'I am already feeling that.' She momentarily thinks to herself.

"I think I might have figured out a way I might be able to try to help you fight against it though,"

She gives him another puzzled look.

"Even though you will have to fight it in your head, I think that there is a way for me to be there as well. Tabitha was once able to be in a nightmare of mine. . . "

"The battle in Albion." She interjects.

Surprised by her statement, he pauses in his tracks for a moment.

"If you are wondering how I know, then you can partially blame Siesta. She had told me that you suffered nightmares because of my doing. I am truly sorry for all that you had to endure. I had also felt the disturbance through our link whenever you had one of those nightmares."

He looks down and sighs.

"Please don't be mad at her. It helped me come to my senses. I am sorry you go through that. It's all because of me."

"Alright. Maybe we can talk more about that at a later time. Right now, I want to focus on the task at hand. Tabitha was able to be in my nightmare with me. I think that it was because we had slept with each other that night."

Her eyebrows raise.

"Are you suggesting we have sex?" She asks with almost a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

He quickly smacks his forehead.

"No. No. No. I didn't mean we had sex. I meant that she actually slept next to me really closely."

"Oh."

Completely ignorant of the slight disappointment in her reply, he continues on.

"I think that somehow our hearts were beating as one, plus the added effect of our minds being linked through the bond must have caused the strange scenario."

"So you are suggesting that we just sleep next to each other?"

He nods, but then he also pulls out a small bottle.

"Plus with this. I got this while at the palace to help put us into a deep sleep."

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Shortly after that.

Everyone was gathered in Oriana's room.

"Remember, our objective is to somehow capture the bond. If we kill it, then we could end up severing the bond completely and you could lose your powers."

Eleonore, Siesta, Tabitha, and Tiffania were in various places around the room.

Saito had his shirt off and Oriana had a bra on. They both had on pajama bottoms.

Oriana drinks down the potion and quickly lies down. Eleonore's eye twitches as she watches Saito awkwardly lay down next to Oriana and spoons her. His arm wraps around her stomach. A blush forms on Oriana's cheeks as she feels him against her.

She quickly falls asleep after that.

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Oriana wakes up in the middle of a forest.

As she sits up, she realizes that she is in her white outfit.

She looks around.

"I feel like I have been in this forest before."

She looks around some more.

"Where are you, Saito?"

{Your master is not here.}

'That voice.'

"Come out! I know that you are there!" She calls out.

A slight giggle comes from somewhere. It sounds exactly like her giggle.

A figure walks out from behind the trees. It looks like her old self down to the outfit.

{So why are you so eager to seek me?}

"Surely you know already?"

{But there is no need to. You love your master and you already devote yourself to him. There is no need to seek me.}

Oriana gets slightly surprised by this.

"But I can't have you interfering."

{As you can already tell, I hardly ever have to speak to you.}

She goes to open her mouth to speak to her counterpart, but she realizes that she is right.

"This is true."

{Then we don't need to speak any further.}

Sheffield turns around and begins to walk away.

"Wait!"

Sheffield looks over her shoulder at Oriana.

{Yes?}

"It is my master's orders that you get locked up."

While tapping her chin in puzzlement, Sheffield turns around and starts walking back to Oriana.

{This is quite the dilemma. I suppose that I would normally have to obey this command.}

Oriana smirks knowing that she may have just outwitted the bond.

{But, I don't know how to do that. There is also the fact that I do have my own level of self-preservation.} Sheffield says nearly robitcally.

Oriana grits her teeth.

'Shit! This isn't going to be that easy. Where the hell are you Saito?' Oriana thinks to herself in worry.

She gets into a fighting stance.

Sheffield raises her hand.

{Don't be so hasty, my counterpart. You should think about just letting me take over from here.}

"Why should I do that?"

Sheffield starts circling around her in a simple walking pace.

{For one thing, you wouldn't ever worry about those pesky memories of yours if you give yourself to me.}

Oriana gives this some serious thought.

{You would never have to feel the pain of those memories ever again.}

No response comes back from her.

{You wouldn't have to deal with him being around all of those other pesky women ever again.}

"How?"

{I am sure I can trick him into lowering his guard from that rule of his. Then I can get rid of them.}

Oriana's eyes go wide.

"But they are all good people. They love him too and they are all nice."

{Really? What about Eleonore? Are you sure that she is truly okay with you?}

"Her attitude has changed since the beginning."

{Are you sure that you really want to keep living this life?}

"Yes. Why wouldn't I?"

{Because he doesn't return your love.}

"But, he cares about me."

{That isn't love.}

She starts to lose her resolve after hearing those words.

{If you let me take over, then I will do everything that I can to make him love you. Isn't that what you want? Don't you want to be with him?}

She looks at the ground while trying to figure out her response. Nothing seems to come out.

Sheffield walks right up to her.

Tears are falling down Oriana's face.

The runes on Sheffield's forehead begin to glow.

{Give in to me. Let me take over.}

Oriana stands still as her counterpart reaches for her neck.

She begins turning black starting from her feet.

The blackness creeps up her legs and up her abdomen. It continues higher and goes up her chest and it is about to reach her neck.

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Saito wakes up in the middle of a forest and sits up.

He scratches the back of his head.

"Man. Where the hell am I?"

Practically spinning in circles, he looks around in every direction.

"So, is this my dream, or is it Oriana's?"

He ponders this while scratching his head again.

'This is not your dream, Saito.' Serena says to him.

"Wait. You're here too?"

'We are a part of you." Chimes in Zephira.

"Where you go, we go." Kesia also says.

"Then I have to find Oriana quick. She could already be engaged in battle with the bond."

His eyes glow white and he wind swirls around him as he lifts up into the air.

At the same time, he also enhances his sight and hearing.

Within moments he spots and hears Oriana and Sheffield talking to each other.

"I think I'll hang back and see how this goes. I don't seem to be noticed by them and they're not fighting yet. I will keep the element of surprise and strike when I have to."

He listens in a little closer to their conversation and overhears Sheffield tell her how he doesn't return her love.

He grips the hilt of Derflinger and grits his teeth as he seethes with anger.

'Damn that fucking bond. It's really playing with her emotions. That's not fair.' He thinks as he flies closer and closer while hastening his speed.

Just as he finishes that thought, He sees Sheffield grab Oriana by the throat.

He watches as the darkness creeps up her body.

"Orianaaaaaaaaaaaa!" He shouts out as he gets right above the two of them.

"Saito." Oriana says as both her and her counterpart look up.

Saito comes hurling down with Derflinger in his hands.

Sheffeild backs away just in time to avoid getting slashed by him.

He impacts the ground with such force that pieces of the ground fly up and Derflinger cuts nearly a foot into the ground.

With her hand away from Oriana, the darkness that was consuming her quickly fades away.

He grabs her and flies 30 feet away.

Sheffield takes no action against him or her while he is holding her

"Oriana! Don't give in to her. Could you really be happy letting your mind be taken over by the bond?"

"But it is true. You don't return my love. You have all of those other women in your life. How am I supposed to fit in?" She frantically says to him.

"I said that we would talk about it, didn't I?"

She nods to him.

"You need to live your life. Not let this thing live it for you."

"What about my past? It hurts. It even hurts you."

"It's that past that makes us who we are. Yes, it hurts. But then we move on, just like you have. You have been working on moving on with your life, haven't you?"

She nods.

"Haven't you been enjoying your life at my mansion with the others? Haven't you enjoyed their company as well?"

She nods.

"Then you can choose to keep doing that then. If you choose to let the bond take over, then you will be giving all of that up. It will be living your life, and not you. You will be giving up all of your new friends and me to be alone. If you leave, then I will be sad."

Her eyes go wide in shock. All of his words hit like a hammer.

She wraps her arms around him and embraces him. With tear filled eyes, she looks up at him with a smile.

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In the room.

Everyone had seen tears fall from Oriana's eyes.

Then they see Saito pull her closer into him as her name whispers out of his mouth.

Her body completely forms against his.

After another moment, Eleonore's eye twitches as she sees Oriana's body relax while a blush forms on both Saito's and her face.

She was about to storm out of the room but Tiffania grabs her hand.

The blond Valliere looks back at the half-elf.

"What?"

"Please stay. This . . . is awkward . . . but you know that they might need us." Tiffania pleads with Eleonore while sweat dropping.

"Besides, it's not like they're having sex in the middle of battle." Adds Tabitha.

Siesta and Sylphid blush furiously and cover their faces as that image runs through their heads.

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Back in Oriana's head.

Sheffield pulls out handfuls of seeds, flower petals, and bear teeth.

Saito and Oriana see a sea of monsters. Gargoyles, bears, and fenrir wolves encompass the landscape.

Oriana worriedly grabs onto his back.

"We can get through this. You can get through this. You are the mind of god, aren't you?"

She thinks back to their conversation earlier. He had explained how he overcame his bonds.

"You're right, Saito. This is so simple now that I think about it, and after you had explained things."

"It is?" He asks with a very puzzled tone.

"Yes. You just have to keep saving me, don't you?"

He scratches his head.

"It's okay. I know that you are too modest to respond. Thank you for giving me the courage again to live."

She grabs him and gives him another kiss.

After leaving him momentarily stunned again, she walks out ahead of him.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

She looks over her shoulder with a smile.

"I will show you the mind of god."

As she continues to walk forward, Sheffield gets a smug look on her face.

{You are a fool to think that you can win. Attack!}

The mass of monsters start to flow toward her.

Oriana stands her ground.

'This is my mind.'

She touches her temples with her index fingers and her runes glow.

Saito's jaw drops as he sees every single monster stop.

Sheffield's smug look changes to a scared one.

Each monster explodes into a cloud of dust.

{I am still not finished with you.}

"I am finished with you though. This is my mind and you will stop." Oriana says as her runes glow again.

With those words, Sheffield becomes completely still.

"Nice work, Oriana!"

She smiles back at him again.

"I learned from the best." She says back.

"Let's finish locking her up."

With a nod of her head, he begins building up the walls around Sheffield.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 61 of my story.

 **XXX Important note XXX –** I am adding an omake to chapter 49 for all of those Cattleya fans.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 9

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	62. Chapter 62: To Date A Harem Pt 1

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-Two

To Date A Harem Pt. 1

In light of their declaration of a joint marriage, the trio was met with mixed reactions. Mostly good ones, but there were people with unsure and opposed feelings toward their announcement.

Both of their respective governments wanting nothing more than to have a rightful king for their countries (Tristan and Galia). They weren't fully expecting this though.

The trio was mostly met with praise, congratulations, and approval from MOST of the public. After all, it was his actions that had saved the respective countries.

The Valliere family had graciously given their approval of the marriage. They did, in fact, know before everyone else knew.

The Germanian government (Both the main government and the portion in Albion) had also given their approval. This is mostly due to the fact that he had also taken care of a very huge problem of theirs recently. Their main concern was how those of the Brimir faith were going to react.

This was Tabitha's and Henrietta's biggest worries as well. None of them actually cared if they had the approval of everyone, but governing three countries (If you include Albion) that were divided because of religious beliefs would prove to be rather difficult.

Many men were more envious than anything else. Who wouldn't be envious of having two women by their side, let alone the fact that those two women were royalty.

Many of the skeptical people were those that were religious zealots and those that were in question of a dual monarchy.

The idea was new and unheard of. Some were accepting of the idea and found it fascinating. Many were also fine with the idea because their country would still be managed by their respective queen.

A lot of Tristan people felt more secure under an alliance with a large country like Galia.

At the same time, people from Galia felt at ease to be joining into an alliance with a country that not only had a growing reputation, but also with the fact that the people of Tristan have a great bond with their Queen.

Serena had offered to seal their contract at her lake. Henrietta greatly liked this because of her past experience there with the promise she had made with Prince Wales before he had died. Unfortunately, the prosperity of their countries greatly rested on the approval of the pope. The spirits didn't really care what the pope thought, but they understand that the humans were fragile and needed that blanket to keep secure. So, they just acknowledged and understood the trio's reasoning.

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At the Tristan palace.

"Pardon me, but I cannot approve of this marriage, your highness. A proper marriage is between only one man and one woman." Scolds Cardinal Mazarin.

Henrietta, Tabitha, and Saito were in the room with him. Saito was standing near a window. Tabitha was sitting in one of the very elegant and padded chairs in the room. Henrietta and Mazarin were both standing.

"Even for unifying our two countries?" Protests Henrietta.

Saito was staying pretty quiet. He had nothing but contempt for the cardinal. He also didn't really care. He could tell that it was far more important to Henrietta to win over the cardinal. He mostly stared out the window.

The other female in the room wasn't giving the cardinal too much attention either.

'I wonder if she is just doing this to try to one up him in the debate.' He mused to himself.

The cardinal sighs and puts a hand over his face in frustration.

"I only have my previous teachings to guide me with this. This is partially unfamiliar territory. There is no other precedence for this." He says with a calmer tone.

'I think that the cardinal has finally gotten it into his system that he should watch his tongue around me.' Henrietta muses.

"I have already sent a message out to the pope asking him to come out here and personally deal with this. I, personally, will not give my approval for this. As I previously stated, A marriage is between one man and one woman."

Saito had finally had enough.

"This is stupid!" He practically shouts at the cardinal.

"Excuse me?" Mazarin retorts back.

Saito walks over to Mazarin's and Henrietta's location.

Tabitha eyes him inquisitively as she waits to hear his explanation.

"You can't give your blessing over a dual marriage. But how many nobles have mistresses on the side? How many have more than one?"

No response from the cardinal.

"Everyone seems to be of the Brimir faith, but you have all of these relationships on the side. You can't tell me that none of these 'extra' relationships are unnoticed. I am willing to bet that a blind eye is being turned."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Henrietta and Tabitha hold back a chuckle.

In an effort to calm him down, Henrietta places a gentle hand on her husband-to-be's shoulder.

"We shall wait for the pope." Tabitha simply adds.

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While waiting for the pope's arrival, they had started dating and being seen in public. Sometimes all together, and sometimes where it is just two of them.

Just before a date with Henrietta.

Siesta was helping Saito get dressed.

"Do I really have to wear all of this?" Saito practically whines.

She gives him a slight giggle.

"Yes you do. You are going to be king, and right now you are presented to the public. You have to look good."

She helps him put on an elegant white overcoat with gold trim.

"Ugh. I know. I know. I just feel a little stuffy in this. I wish I knew how the hell nobility puts up with this crap. How the heck does Julio do this all the time?"

"I prefer you in your regular attire too. But this is how we have to do things for now. Do you remember all of the etiquette lessons that Eleonore and Henrietta have been giving you."

A hefty sigh escapes his mouth.

"How could I forget? Eleonore drilled it into me."

'Of course, the reward for doing well was quite worth it.' He muses as he gets lewd images in his head.

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One of his dates with Henrietta.

They were walking around the nearby city to the palace.

"Hey, Honey?" Says Henrietta, trying to get his attention.

"Yes?"

"I know that we are trying to get the pope to approve of and perform our marriage. . . "

"But?"

"But, I would still like to confirm our pact in front of Serena."

'Would you still be willing to do that for us, Serena?'

'Of course I would. You do not even have to ask. A bond formed in front of the spirits is not to be taken any lighter than that of somebody claiming to be of the Brimir faith.'

'You aren't fond of him?'

'It doesn't matter if I am or am not. He is not Brimir himself. Almost everyone pales in comparison to that man.'

'Almost?'

'You should answer your future wife's inquiry.'

'Copout, but you are right.'

"We absolutely can. I would actually like that as well, especially since I am the avatar of three spirits."

She smiles and replies.

"Good. That makes me very happy to hear."

After a few more moments.

"You know, this city brings back a lot of fond memories." He slyly says to her.

They were walking arm in arm down one of the streets. A small selection of musketeers were around them including Agnes, Aimee, and Guinevere. They were left enough room to talk without feeling that their conversation was being intruded upon.

She gives him a little smile back.

"And what might that be?"

He gets a bit of a grin on his face and he speaks softly to her.

"I remember when a certain someone snuck out of the palace and met me here."

She hums a little bit as the memory surfaces.

"I was really happy to have caught you here." She says back.

"I also remember you wearing that academy outfit of Louise's."

"I could tell that you enjoyed it."

As she says that to him, they both get a light brush on her cheeks.

"I think what really got me was when you took that shirt off and jumped me to avoid the guards."

A little giggle escapes her.

"How about when I shoved your hand between my breasts beforehand?"

"I think that I was in pure bliss and shock at the same time.

She giggles again while holding her hand in front of her face.

'I am not sure what she is giggling about, but it is great to see her in such a great mood.' Agnes thinks to herself.

Aimee and Guinevere seem to take note of Saito moreover than Henrietta in light of their conversation.

Aimee whispers into Guinevere's ear.

"I wish I could know what they were talking about, but I bet it's erotic considering the bulge that has just formed in Saito's pants."

They both blush.

While they were walking, a little shop catches his eye.

He stops his walking.

"Is everything all right, honey?"

"Yes. I think I recognize this shop owner."

The shop was rather small, but it was well maintained and contained many forms of jewelry.

The owner sees Saito walking up.

"Hello, good sir! How may I help you?"

The shop owner's eyes go wide as he recognizes the avatar.

"I remember you. I almost didn't recognize you with all of those fancy garments you are wearing." The owner says to Saito.

"I thought so. Aren't you the man that gave me the necklace in Albion?"

The man smiles.

"I certainly did. You traded me a glass of water for that item. That was my last act of business before leaving."

"I was very surprised, but glad. That you did that."

"I was really thirsty." He says to Saito.

They both laugh.

"I can't believe that the man I had given that necklace to was the man that saved all of us. Thank you so much. It is an honor to see you again, and congratulations on your engagement to the Queen."

"Thank you for your kind words."

"Is there something I can do for you today?"

"What have you got?" Saito says smugly.

The man smiles at him.

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Later that evening, they (Saito, Tabitha, and Henrietta) were attending a ball set up by one of the nobles that were involved in some of the decision making within the Tristan government.

Henrietta was speaking with some of the nobles, admiring her new necklace every so often. The necklace wasn't nearly as expensive as many of her other necklaces, but it was very finely crafted. There was a cloudy purple chariote stone as the centerpiece of the necklace. It was held in place by a gold setting. The necklace itself was a gold and solver braided with one another which gave it an odd allure.

Tabitha was still proudly brandishing the necklace that he had bought her just before the battle of 70,000.

'Should I get you a new necklace?' He asks Tabitha.

'No. this was the first thing that you had gotten for me. I know that you didn't have the kind of money then that you have now. I don't care if hers is more elegant than this one. I am very fond of this one.' She responds back.

Saito gets approached by a familiar face.

"Jodoc! It is good to see you."

"It is good to see you as well, brother."

As Jodoc returns the greeting, the grab each other's wrists.

"I am glad to see you here, kid."

"Oh! Why is that?"

"I wanted to congratulate you and give the full support of the brotherhood."

"Thank you, Jodoc."

They grab each other's wrists again, but this time Jodoc pulls him in close.

"You are one hell of a lucky man."

He gives Saito a good smack on the shoulder.

"Oh, to be young!" He says as he walks away.

Saito smiles and shakes his head at his fellow brother-in-arms.

Another nobleman walks up to Saito and bows.

As they greet each other, Saito remembers him from one of the times that he had work as an ambassador for Henrietta.

"Forgive me for saying, but I have mixed feelings about this marriage."

"That is quite understandable, and I thank you for your honesty. Is there a way that I settle your feelings?"

"I would like to understand this a little better. I have heard about this marriage, but was lacking a good explanation from anyone."

"Then I am happy to oblige. It is actually quite simple. The marriage will unify both countries, but they will still be governed separately."

"So what would be the benefit then if they are still being separately governed?"

"There will plenty to benefit from. The two countries will still be essentially unified as one, along with their resources. The people from the countries will be able to come and go as they wish."

"So why keep it ruled as a dual monarchy?"

"Well, it makes it easier for the people of each country. People don't always like change. So, people from Tristan will still be ruled by Henrietta, and people from Galia will be ruled by Tabitha."

The man touches his chim.

"Hmmmmm. Very interesting. So where does this leave you?"

"I will be King of both countries, and I will help in some of the decision making of both of them. Most of the decisions will be made by the respective queens. I will be focusing most of my attentions creating an elite joint army to defend both countries with."

"That would be very nice to have a cushion like that."

Saito nods in agreement.

"What about Albion?" He asks Saito.

"Duke Valliere will still be there and have to answer to Henrietta and I."

Just as Saito finishes saying that, Henrietta walks over to Saito and links her arm with his. Tabitha does as well.

"A lot of this sounds promising. Hearing all of that and watching you interact with both of these beautiful women has settled my concerns quite a bit. I can tell that you truly do love both of them."

"Thank you." Henrietta says to the nobleman.

He bows and excuses himself.

Henrietta looks at Saito and Tabitha.

"It looks like the public appearances really are helping out."

They both nod to her.

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That night.

Henrietta was walking down the hallway with Agnes.

Agnes was in her typical uniform and Henrietta was wearing a very elegant robe over herself.

"Where are we going, your highness? You should be settling in for bed." Scolds Agnes with a motherly tone."

Henrietta just smiles and keeps walking.

Agnes just sighs as she follows the Queen's lead.

She stops as she gets to Saito's room.

Aimee bows to her.

"Hellow, your highness. How can I help you?"

"Saito is in here, I assume."

"Yes, he is. His maid, Siesta, had just left moments ago after assisting him with his bath."

'I wonder how much she assisted him.' Muses Henrietta.

"She said that he was about to retire for the night." Finishes the musketeer.

"No he is not." The queen says as she then proceeds to barge into his room.

Aimee opens her mouth in shock but doesn't say anything.

Agnes just puts her hand to her face and shakes her head.

'A little more discretion would have been nice.' The poor captain thinks to herself.

Moments later Henrietta walks out with her arm linked with his. She has a huge cheesy grin on her face.

As they start to walk away, Henrietta looks back at Aimee and makes a shushing motion.

Aimee vigorously nods.

'I am kind of jealous.' She thinks to herself.

The couple keeps walking away.

After running her hands down her face, Agnes looks at her subordinate.

"Not a word or it will be your head."

"Of course." Aimee tries to say in response as seriously as she can.

"And . . . just stay here and act like he is in there."

She nods.

Saito looks at Henrietta after they get a little further ahead.

"I suppose I don't really have to ask, but what are you doing?"

She clutches his arm a little tighter and leans into him.

"I am going to monopolize a little bit more of your time tonight."

A light giggle comes out from her after she says that.

"It has been a little while, maybe I will give you a little extra treatment tonight."

"Oh, planning on spoiling me a little more? You already got me this beautiful necklace."

"Why not?" He retorts back.

"Well, maybe I will just to do something to spoil you a little bit as well." She says back as they enter her chambers.

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A short while later.

Henrietta cracks open the door.

Agnes looks and can tell that it is Henrietta.

"Is there something that I can help you with, you majesty?"

She says this to her in a slightly joking matter considering that she knew exactly what was going on in there.

"Is there anyone out there?"

Agnes shakes her head no.

As she opens the door a little more, Agnes gets a light blush as she sees that Henrietta was quite naked. Her well-shaped and toned body, along with her ample bosom, make her a beauty hard to compete with.g

The Queen pops her head out and looks down the hall.

"What are you doing?" Agnes asks while scratching her head.

Henrietta quickly snatches her by the wrist and drags her into the room.

Then she shuts the door.

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Omake

One's Loss, Another's Gain

A short while after Henrietta had taken Saito into her room.

Henrietta cracks open the door and quickly snatches the wrist of the person standing there and drags her into the room.

Then she shuts the door.

She looks back at the person she had dragged into her chambers. As she turns her head, she expected to see Agnes standing there.

It wasn't Agnes.

"Julia!"

She was standing there completely red from the fact that not only was she in front of her naked Queen, but also in front of a naked Saito.

"I thought Agnes was standing out there."

"I . I . I . had relieved her, your highness."

Henrietta stands there with her hands on her hips and looks between Julia and Saito (whom was covering his eyes and completely red.

"Should . . . I leave?" Julia nervously says to her Queen.

Henrietta pauses a moment while she reflects on the situation.

'I promised him that I would treat him.' She muses to herself.

"Answer me honestly, do you like Saito? No lying to me."

Julia closes her eyes and nods her head up and down.

"Then strip."

The musketeer's eyes shoot wide open in shock.

"What?" She quickly asks to make sure that she didn't hear things.

The Queen repeats again.

"Strip."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 62 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 10

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	63. Chapter 63: To Date A Harem Pt 2

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-Three

To Date A Harem Pt. 2

While Tabitha and Henrietta were at the palace with various wedding dress designers, Saito was roaming around the courtyard with Siesta and his two usual musketeers.

The day was actually quite nice for a stroll. It was just the right temperature and there was just a slight breeze in the air.

He decided to take a break and sat at a table that was out there.

"I shall go inside and get you something refreshing to drink."

"That would be wonderful, Siesta. See if you can get a little something for everyone else as well."

"Thank you so much, Lord Saito." Guinevere says kindly in response.

Both of them give him a bow while Siesta walked away.

"I am sure that you are thirsty too."

After looking at Guinevere and making sure Siesta was fully inside, Aimee looks at Saito.

"Milord, may I speak with you frankly?"

He raises an eyebrow and looks at her curiously.

'This is a little odd for her.'

"Sure. Sit down."

Guinevere gives her a curious look as well.

"Are you sure that I may?"

He nods.

"If you are going to talk to me seriously, then I would prefer you sit."

She does so, slowly.

"Now, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" He asks out of concern.

"Well, I need to get something off my chest. It's been nagging me and I have to get it out."

"Aimee!" Guinevere abruptly says in a raised tone.

Aimee looks back at her comrade.

"I know, Guinevere, but I have to tell him no matter what the consequences are."

Saito scratches his head in puzzlement and a little worry.

"Okay. What is going on? What kind of Consequences."

"Before I tell you, I want to let you know that I am not expecting a response. I just want to tell you."

"Okay?"

Aimee is lightly sweating, and not from the heat.

"We know that you have a lot of women in your life."

This startles him a little bit, but only a little.

"We've spent a lot of time with you. . . "

"So, you were bound to figure it out eventually." He says interruptingly.

She gives a nod.

"So, why are you saying this to me?"

She looks back to Guinevere with pleading eyes that said help.

"Don't look at me. You started this. I told you that I didn't think that this was a good idea."

Aimee lets out a little whine and then looks back at Saito.

He drums his fingers on the table in annoyance.

"Would somebody please tell me what this is about." He says to the two of them.

"I just wanted to tell you that we both really like you."

On that note, both of his eyes shoot open.

'I'm not surprised. She did practically say that all you had to do was ask and she would have shown you her body.' Serena informs him.

'When was this?'

'That night that the Ondine knights peeped on the girls' bath at the academy.'

'Oh.'

"I know that you probably can't return our feelings because of all of the other women in your life. We couldn't even begin to compete with them anyways. I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I accept any consequences for my actions."

He pauses a moment to recollect himself and reply to her.

"Have you shirked your duties because of your feelings?"

He directs the question to both of them.

They both shake their head no.

"Of course not. We take our duties seriously." Responds Guinevere.

"We might make some idle comments to each other, but she is right. We take our duties seriously. We try to watch out for the others as best as we can as well." Adds Aimee.

"And you haven't swayed your judgment just towards me?"

Again, they both shake their head no.

"Like Aimee said. Knowing what we know, and seeing how much you care for everyone, we do our best to make sure everyone stays safe."

"Does it bother you that I have so many women in my life?"

Another shaking of their heads gives him his answer.

"We would love to be your mistresses if we could, but you probably already have too many." Aimee admits to him.

"Then what consequences did you think were going to happen?"

"I was worried that you, Henrietta, or Agnes would remove us from our post."

"For one thing. I am glad that you know and are okay with it."

They both let out a sigh of relief.

"And, with knowing that, you have actually made sure to take extra special care towards the others. We've gotten to all know each other as well. I also trust you two. Trust is a big thing for me. Finding people to truly trust is very hard."

"Thank you." Aimee says softly to him while bowing her head.

"So, I have a question."

"What is it, Milord?"

"When I had come back after the battle in Albion, did you two purposely do what you did?"

They all blush from the memory.

"Well . . . um . . . no . . . . it was a huge rollercoaster of mishaps and coincidences that night. I can't say that I didn't enjoy it though."

"You were a great kisser." Guinevere sheepishly says.

"Saito, the ladies man." Derflinger says aloud while he clanks.

He blushes.

"Why me?" He then asks while making sure to keep Derflinger sheathed.

"Do you realize how hard it is to find a decent man?" Asks Aimee with a hint of despair in her voice.

"I guess not." He responds dumbfoundedly.

'Did she think that you go out looking for other men?' Asks Kesia.

Saito almost bursts out laughing from the Earth spirit's comment, but doesn't.

They start to see Siesta coming back toward them.

"One more thing, before Siesta gets over here."

"What's that?" He asks.

"We think Julia might have some feelings toward you as well."

He face palms.

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Inside the palace.

Henrietta looks back to Tabitha after looking at some examples of dresses with a devious smile.

The blue-haired princess looks back with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you think that Agnes would look good in a dress?"

Agnes whips her head in Henrietta's direction. Hearing her name associated with the word dress has not been combined since she was a very little girl. This clearly shows on her face as it shows a deep level of angst.

'She wouldn't.' Agnes inwardly hopes.

"I've never seen her in one except when she looked like you at the Sleepnir ball." Replies Tabitha.

Henrietta looks at the designer.

"Could we look at some dresses for her as well? Not wedding dresses. Just formal dresses."

The man bows to her.

"Anything you wish for, your Majesty."

"We should also make sure Tiffania gets fitted as well." The Queen adds.

Tabitha simply nods.

Agnes takes a big gulp and sweat drops.

'Somebody help me.'

Her quiet pleas for help go unanswered.

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While walking about, one of the spirits decides to spark a conversation with Saito.

'Saito?'

'Yes, Serena.'

'How do you feel about the Brimir faith and this Pope?'

'That's an odd question.'

'It's actually quite important to me and probably the other spirits as well.'

He scratches his head.

'Well, I find it kind of odd.'

'How so?'

'I haven't fully delved into the religion too much to get a full grasp on it. I just seem to always be way too busy and didn't care enough to research it. But, the Brimir faith is like a cult. In some ways, it kind of reminds me of Budhism.'

'Budhism?'

'It's a little bit of a hard thing to explain. This Brimir was a real person, and so was Budha. The two are nothing alike though. To me, it seems like people worship Brimir like a god, and he's not.'

'God?'

'Ugh. This is kind of a pain to explain to an outsider. In some faiths from where I came from, God is what you would probably put in place of the founder Brimir. God is an omnipotent being that created the world. No one can see him, but everyone follows his faith. Wars were even fought in his name. He doesn't really have a name though. He is just referred to as 'God'.'

'So, what bothers you about the Brimir faith then?'

He stops walking and ruffles his hair in frustration.

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Aimee and Guinevere (whom were hanging back from him) look at each other during this.

Aimee whispers to Guinevere.

"He must be having one heck of a conversation in his head."

Guinevere nods and whispers back.

"It's a good thing we know that he communicates with the spirits. Otherwise, we would probably think that he is mad."

"We should probably tell him about that so that he doesn't do this in front of the wrong people."

Guinevere nods.

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Back to Saito

'I am really bothered by it all.' He continues on.

'What do you mean?'

'I find it hard to believe that everyone that has magical power, has it only because of him. I find this hard to believe. Then, all nobles think that they are all high and mighty because of this. People who can't seem to cast magic are treated like trash. What good is a faith/religion if it means treating people like that? I would never think that way about Siesta, Agnes, or anyone like them. Let's say it is true, then how do I fit into this? I came from a different world, but Eleonore and Colbert both came to the conclusion that I had the power within me. And why would they believe in someone that was willing to commit a mass genocide for reasons of which I don't think anyone knows.'

'Well now, my avatar, those are some interesting conclusions that you have been coming to. I need you to keep those in mind for future reference.'

'I bet you know what happened years ago.'

'I do, but you are not ready to hear the answers just yet. I will tell you this though, you are slowly coming to the truth and I promise to tell you when the time is right.'

He grumbles a little bit from this.

'How do you feel about the Pope?' She then asks him.

'Honestly, I don't think that I can fully trust him.'

'Why?'

'He is a man in a position of power. He also seems to be someone that is not just looking out for the religion, but also his own gain. He proved that when I found out about what he did during my fiasco in Galia. He can't be fully trusted. Not to mention, he is trying to preach about a man that died 6,000 years ago. I think that he may even know more than what everyone knows, but I can't prove it.'

'Saito, you are wise beyond your years. Keep everything that you have told me in mind for the times to come.'

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Shortly after his talk with Serena and the other elementals, Saito found himself sitting at a table again taking a break.

He gets broken out of his solemnness with the doors bursting open.

He worriedly sees Agnes running desperately for her life.

He cants his head to the side as he takes a closer look at her appearance.

She is only wearing her black bodysuit that is worn under all of the other musketeer gear. She also doesn't have any of her other weapons.

Following behind her, are two designers that are chasing after her. One is holding a dress, and the other is holding up a green piece of cloth.

"Please wait Miss Captain!" One of them shouts.

"You can't make me! I don't want to!" Agnes shouts back.

"This is your Queens orders!" Another one shouts.

Following a little bit further behind them is Queen Henrietta, whom is laughing and joyfully chasing along.

They all pass by Saito, Siesta and the two musketeers.

He shakes his head.

"I am not sure if I want to know." He says aloud.

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On another day.

The Pope, Vittorio, walks into Henrietta's throne room with his guards and Cardinal Mazarin.

Tabitha and Saito are there as well.

Everyone gives him a polite bow as he enters.

The pope greets all of them in a very proper manner, including using Tabitha's real name.

'Tabitha seems to be getting used to being called Charlotte more often quite well.' Saito muses.

"That will be enough, Cardinal. You and the guards may leave us." Vittorio says to Mazarin

The Cardinal opens his mouth to retort, but Vittorio holds up a hand to stop him.

"I said that will be enough. I wish to speak with Saito, the Queen and the Princess privately."

Mazarin bows to him.

"Very well." He says to the Pope and then leaves the room with the guards.

Henrietta nods to her guards to leave as well, after taking Vittorio's hint.

Julia closes the doors as she leaves.

Before anyone else has a chance to really speak, the Pope quickly speaks.

"To answer your question, yes, I will marry the three of you."

The three just stare at him for a moment in awe. Vittorio continues on during dumbfounded moment. He walks up to a window and looks out. The sun gleams off of his perfectly kept outfit.

"You are probably wondering why I have agreed to do so."

His voice sounding very calm and collected, as though everything is going according to a plan.

"To say that I am wondering why is an understatement. There has to be a reason why." Saito says to him.

The Pope simply smiles at them.

"I suppose that you just simply wouldn't let it go at my word?"

"Even though it would be kind of impolite to pry . . . " Henrietta starts to say.

". . We want to know." Tabitha finishes.

A light sigh leaves Vittorio's mouth.

"I suppose you are right to wonder why I would agree so easily. I do know about the conversation you had with Cardinal Mazarin. He is right. A marriage is between one man and one woman."

Saito was about to interject, but the Pope stops him with the wave of a hand.

"I know what you are going to say. You are going to bring up the fact that many nobles have women on the side anyways, and you are right. I would be foolish to try to fool you with that."

'They just simply conveniently overlook them.' Saito thinks to himself.

"You are also, for all intents and purposes, a heretic."

Everyone gives a hard stare at the Pope after saying that. Those words cut through Saito like a knife.

He starts walking back toward them with his hands halfway up in the air.

"You came from another world. Yet you can cast magic like the rest of us. You have also formed bonds with spirits and cast magic like the elves as well. You have shown no signs of being a follower of the Brimir faith, but here you are asking me to wed you to two powerful women. Even as a mage, you are a heretic. You learn spells in an instant. And let's not forget the fact that you are not only a void familiar, but you are also a void mage."

Every word that he was saying to Saito stung the three of them, but it stung Saito the most. Every sentence reminded him how much of an outcast he really is.

Tabitha could feel Saito's feelings through their bond and she sent her own feelings of comfort back to him to let him know that he really isn't alone.

Even though she didn't have a bond with him, Henrietta's heart ached for her lover.

The pope could see that Henrietta, for as calm as she is, was building up like a volcano.

Again, he waves her anger off.

"Please relax. It was necessary for me to say that. Those are valid reasons against him after all."

It hurts them to admit it, but they realize that what he said is true.

The tension of the morale in the room could be cut with a knife.

"But, I did say that I marry you three."

After swallowing down the feelings that were building up in his throat, Saito speaks up.

"Then why? Why would you do this with so much against me?"

Vittorio starts walking around them very stoically with his hands behind his back.

"I had to figure out how I was going to justify this myself. Luckily, I had a lot of time to think about that along my trip here."

While narrowing his eyes, Saito wonders why he worded it that way.

'Why would he already have an answer before the justification for it?'

"I had to figure out how I would satisfy the fragile minds of the followers of the Brimir faith. It would be hard to rule over countries if you aren't even backed by the faith that most of the people that are in them believe."

"We came to that conclusion as well." Says Tabitha.

"It wouldn't do me any good to have the people torn like that over their leader. It benefits me greatly to have you in that position. By having my approval, your position becomes more solidified."

'So, he really is out for his own agenda.' Notes Saito.

"I can explain this as a special case. After all, you are part of the prophecy of the 4 and 4. The four void mages and their four familiars will come together to stop a great calamity. By being a void mage, you are automatically indoctrinated into the faith."

'Really, who came up with that damn prophecy anyways?' Saito thinks to himself.

"So that is how you are going to explain this." Says Henrietta.

The Pope simply nods to her.

"It might a little bit of ruckus with some of the other members of the faith, but have no fear. I am the Pope after all. My word is final.

'I feel like I am dealing with the devil.' Saito also thinks to himself and Tabitha.

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Shortly after the Pope had left, Saito looks at his two brides-to-be.

There is a very concerned look his face.

"Is something the matter, Saito?" Henrietta asks.

"I am just going to spell it out for you. I am torn about this. There is a lot that I don't like about this whole situation with him. He isn't doing this with the church in mind. He is out for himself. He is doing this as a favor to us so that he may ask for a favor in return. I have no idea what it might be. I know that he is the Pope, but think about what he said to us just moments ago. He is manipulating people for his own goals. I was unsure of him before, and now I trust him even less."

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To take a break from the craziness of everything, Saito had decided to go back to his mansion before getting ready to head off for Albion.

He was lying on the couch in the library with his feet hung off of the arm.

After letting out a sigh he opens his eyes to see three heads peering over the couch at him with another one (Oriana's) looking at him from a distance.

They all had a little bit of a look of angst in their facial expressions.

"Okay? What's wrong?" He curiously asks.

Siesta walks around the couch and sits on it with him, draping his legs over her lap.

"We want some attention too." She says to him with a smile.

"Huh?" He says while scratching his head.

Eleonore shifts her glasses, and speaks up.

"To put it simply, we are all jealous of all of the time that you have been spending going on dates with Henrietta and Tabitha."

Tiffania nods in agreement.

"It's not fair." She says in addition to nodding.

"Agnes is feeling a little left out as well." Siesta adds.

He sits up a little bit.

"You're right. It's not fair. I got so wrapped up in everything that I didn't take all of your feeling into account. I have a little bit of time before leaving for Albion. We can't do anything to draw to much attention to ourselves because we still have to keep things secret, but I will some time out for each of you."

Tiffania walks over to Oriana, grabs her hand, and brings her back over to the couch.

"Her too." Tiffania says to him.

Oriana blushes not only from Tiffania's gesture, but also from the idea of going on a date with her master.

'I never got to do that before.' She thinks to herself.

"Do you really want that as well?" He asks his familiar.

She nods.

Eleonore lets out a 'hmph' and looks away, but doesn't say anything to refute.

Neither does Siesta and Tiffania lights up a little bit with happiness.

"Alright." He says to all of them with his hands in the air as he gives in.

While nodding and still looking away, Eleonore responds to his declaration.

"Good."

Siesta gets a bright idea into her head.

"Hey! Why don't we go to my uncle's inn?"

"What about a picnic?" The elf adds.

"My mother is going to be having a formal gathering at the mansion in a week. Perhaps you could be our special guest."

'Oh, man. What did I get myself into?'

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 63 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 10

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	64. Chapter 64: To Date A Harem Pt 3

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

To give warning, this chapter is going to have a bit of a feeling of a series of drabbles. It covers most of his time with each of the girls and it covers a widespread amount of time as he travels from Tristan; to Albion; and then back again.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-Four

To Date A Harem Pt. 3

Saito is the first one to enter into the Enchanted Fairie inn.

"Saitoooooooooooo." Comes a very familiar feminine and masculine tone.

Saito sweat drops as he sees Scarron charging at him.

'Oh no. Already?'

Scarron picks him up in his usual bear hug.

"I haven't seen you in such a long time. I thought that you had forgotten about us."

"Nope. There is no way that I could forget about you, Scarron." He says to the owner through a very strained tone.

He gets put down and Scarron waves a finger at him in a scolding manner.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You know that you aren't supposed to refer to me like that. It's . . . ."

"Mi Mademoiselle!" Everyone in the inn chimes in.

Siesta also says it as she walks in behind Saito. She is wearing normal clothes with a few precautions still hidden inside.

She also gets a hug from her uncle, just not as roughly.

Then he sees the group behind Saito and Siesta.

"Come in! Come in and take a seat!" Scarron says happily to everyone.

Oriana, Tiffania, Ari, and Luctiana come inside. Ari has a hood up so that no one can see his ears. Tiffania and Luctiana have hats on for the same reason. Weylyn stays outside, as instructed.

Aimee and Guinevere also come inside.

Everyone gets seated and a couple of the fairies quickly get drinks for everyone.

Ari and Luctiana take a table in the corner along with Tiffania.

Saito sits at a table nearby and makes sure to face his elven friends and lover. Siesta and Oriana sit on either side of him.

"Are you sure it was wise to bring them here. You were hesitant before?" Oriana whispers to him.

"I feel safe about taking them here. Despite how scary he may seem, Scarron is a good . . . guy. Plus, those two haven't been able to get out much. I think that Luctiana is having a little bit more fun than Ari though."

They both look at Luctiana, whom is practically jumping out of her seat while watching everyone.

Oriana giggles a little bit.

"Did I just hear you giggle?" He says to his familiar.

She clears her throat and attempts to regain her composure.

"Perhaps." She says in return.

Siesta smiles in amusement.

"It's a nice change from your serious tone." He says to Oriana.

"Thank you ma. . . . I mean, Saito." She tells him in return while blushing.

She also resists the urge to try to latch onto his arm.

'I can't do anything in front of anybody plus I still haven't been accepted by everyone just yet.' She reminds herself.

After a little while, Scarron pulls Saito aside.

"You make my niece so happy. She does nothing but go on and on about you."

"That is great to hear."

"I've never seen Siesta so happy. I approve of how you have things arranged with her. She did tell me about a couple things. Will you promise me to always makes sure that she is happy."

"Of course I promise to keep her happy."

Scarron then pouts and tears well up in his eyes.

"And please make sure to never make her or my dear daughter cry ever again. My heart nearly broke when they thought you were dead and I saw them cry."

"I will do my best to make sure that doesn't happen ever again."

He quickly gets gripped in a bear hug again by Scarron and waved around happily.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you! Thank you!"

"O . . . k. I . . . am glad . . . . that you . . . are happy. But . . . could you . . . please . . . put me . . . down." Saito says to him while he is being swung around.

"I don't know what was said between the two of them, but he seems really happy." Jessica says to her cousin.

Siesta nods and they both share a giggle.

"This deserves a celebration! Let's put on the show that we created in Saito's honor!" Shouts Scarron.

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After bringing everyone back home, Saito starts settling in for the night in his room.

He hears a knock at his door.

"You may enter."

The door opens and then gets shut by Siesta after she walks in.

He smiles at her.

"Did you enjoy your night? I am sorry that it wasn't just us and it was mostly spent at your uncle's inn."

She smiles back at him and shakes her head.

"It's was great. I had a lot of fun. I could tell everyone else did as well. Besides, my cousin gave me something special to wear for you."

One of his eyebrows gets raised in curiosity.

"What did she give you?"

"You have to close your eyes and give me a minute to change."

He closes his eyes like she asked.

She quickly sheds off her uniform and puts on what her cousin had given her while at the inn.

"You may now open your eyes."

He slowly opens his eyes and they go completely wide open as he sees what is before him. Before him is his maid wearing a very skimpy bunny outfit. She has a set of floppy bunny ears, a band that barely wraps around her bust, and a pair of panties that has a fluffy bunny tail in the back.

She bounces up and down a couple of times and his eyes follow her large breasts.

"Do you like?" She asks and follows up with a giggle.

Just after she giggles, the band that was wrapping around her chest snaps. Her breasts bounce freely as it falls to the ground.

"I guess we don't have to worry about that anymore."

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Deciding to try to spend some time with Agnes, He had gone back to the palace for part of a day. They decided to spend their time testing each other in what they know best - combat. He wasn't allowed to use any magic, only skill.

They were having quite the audience around them. They were in an arena doing all of their fighting. After several challenges of combat skill, they were left with sword fighting.

People didn't know who to cheer for between the two of them. They had the full attention of staff, knights, musketeers, and visitors.

They started the fight with the same stances.

Their swords clashed and they countered each other's moves time and time again.

Lots of oo's and ah's came from everyone in the crowd during their fighting.

Their battle continued on.

After a bit of time, some warriors left in shame of their own skills.

And it continued on.

Some people had to leave because they had to be places and couldn't sit any longer.

And it continued on.

Aimee and Guinevere had their own conversation in the midst of this.

"So who do you think will win?" Aimee asks.

"I bet our captain will win. They are pretty evenly matched, but she is the one that taught him."

"I think that neither of them will and it will be a tie."

"Five gold?"

Aimee nods.

"No matter what the outcome is, I bet their sex after this will be fantastic. Look at how happy and into this they are." She whispers to Guinevere.

They both share a giggle.

And it continues on.

Eventually, both of them collapse onto the ground in exhaustion and are unable to fight any longer. The crown cheers for them both.

They are breathing heavily and soaked in sweat.

"That was fun." She says breathlessly.

"I enjoyed it too."

"That was exhilarating, brother! Can we do that again? I haven't had that much fun in ages!" Derflinger happily says to the two of them.

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Saito had gone back to his mansion with the promise that Agnes was going to come through the mirror and spend the night with him. After she had gotten there, they decided that they were going to share the bath together.

Saito had told Aimee and Guinevere to take some time to themselves for the night.

Agnes had told him to go ahead and get settled into the bath and she would join him shortly

Saito was sitting in his outdoor bath. It was only a tiny bit cool outside and there was no breeze. It was oddly dark though for there being two moons. He was keeping it dark so that he wouldn't draw any extra attention to the bath.

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Aimee and Guinevere had decided to take the lord of the house's advice.

They are currently walking to their destination.

"I can't wait to get in there." Guinevere says excitedly to Aimee.

"I know. Me too. It's really nice of him to let us use it every so often."

"Aimee, shouldn't we have brought a light so that we could actually see?"

"I would rather not get caught trying to take a late night dip."

"I guess you are right."

They manage to get to the entrance to the hot springs and go inside.

"You know, I still can't believe I lost 5 gold to you."

Aimee snickers back at her comrade.

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Saito smiles excitedly as he hears footsteps coming into the bath area.

But then he hears speaking and snickering.

Realizing that it wasn't Agnes, he speaks up.

"Hello?"

"Wait! Someone else is here. Saito?"

As Aimee says that, she freezes in her footsteps.

Not knowing that Aimee had stopped, Guinevere bumps right into her and they both fall over one after the other into the bath.

Two splashes, two yelps, and a squeal is heard.

Saito struggles for a moment as he feels a body against him and clutching him.

"Please stop moving. It's making it worse." Aimee says through a strained voice."

"Aimee?"

"Uh . . . . huh."

"Oh my goodness." Adds Guinevere.

Saito casts a spell and touches one of the rocks to make it shine like a light.

Aimee was straddling him. Her towel had fallen off and her naked body was pressed against his. She was flushed and panting heavily. She was keeping her face turned away from him, but she was clutching him tightly. They were connected.

Guinevere had her towel, but was pressed against Aimee.

"We are so sorry." Guinevere says to him.

She quickly gets up, but Aimee stays still.

"Come on Aimee!"

"I'm . . . still recovering."

Saito's and Guinevere's eye shoot open.

"You didn't?" Asks Saito.

"I did." She blissfully says back.

"Wow! You go partner!" Blurts out Derflinger, whom is leaning against a wall.

Saito covers his face.

'Oh, Shit.'

"Okay. Well, I need you to get off or we are both going to have a problem."

Aimee muses at the thought of 'getting off' again for a brief moment.

As she struggle to get up, Guinevere grabs Aimee's soaked towel and wraps it around her.

Just as they turn around to rush away, they come face to face with Agnes in her towel.

She holds up her lantern and it makes her eyes look like they are on fire.

The glare she gives them chills them to the core. They both gulp in worry.

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After returning back to the bath, Agnes takes off her towel and slowly enters the bath.

The bruises from the day's activities are shown on both her and Saito.

As she walks in, she gives him a hard look.

"We aren't going to talk about what just happened. I heard enough from them and I don't want it to ruin our night."

He nods.

'It would be unwise to say anything more.' He tells himself.

She sits down and leans against him.

"I am so sore, but I had a lot of fun with you today." She says to him.

"I did too. You beat the crap out of me during that jousting tournament though."

"I can't believe you beat me in archery. I still say that you must have cheated and used your avatar powers somehow."

"Can't accept defeat?" He teasingly says to her.

She gives him a light punch at his ribs and he gives a grunt.

Then she smirks up at him and they kiss each other gently.

Without saying a word, Agnes lifts her leg over him and straddles him like Aimee did.

'I can't believe that I am thinking of taking their suggestion.' The captain thinks to herself.

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After enjoying a private lunch together at the Valliere estate, Eleonore and Saito were attending the party that she told him that her mother was hosting.

Eleonore was spending a lot of time next to Saito throughout the evening. She used the excuse that she was escorting him around for the night because he was an honored guest.

She kept most of her usual mannerisms around everyone, but some people could tell that there was something different about her. She had a kind of glow about her that some people were almost scared of because they never saw that side of her.

Saito was introduced around to the people he didn't know by her.

He watched happily as Cattleya seemed very lively during the party as well. Many people were talking with her and were elated with her recovery.

Karin's time was being heavily taken up by nobles hobnobbing with her.

He had to do a lot of hobnobbing as well. Luckily, many of the nobles he had seen at other functions that he had been to recently.

Cattleya eventually pulls him off to the side and walks with him a few minutes.

"You've been getting quite a lot of attention." He says to her.

She sighs.

"I know, but it's a little annoying in some ways."

"Why is that?"

"Some of them had very little interest in me when I was really ill, and now they do all of a sudden. Others I think are just interested in my family's name and not just me."

"That's nobility for you. I can't stand it."

She nods.

"Plus, there is another thing." She says to him.

"And what is that?"

"You've set the standards quite high. It's really hard to find a man as nice as you. I'm kind of jealous of my sister being with you. Since she is not actually getting married though, that leaves the family up to me and Louise."

"I . . . don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. I don't want to complicate things. I just wanted to tell you. I will say this as well. If I can't eventually find a decent man, then I might just come knocking on your door." She starts saying to him seriously, but then playfully.

Just then, Karin steps in front of them.

"May I interrupt?"

"Of course, mother."

Now Karin starts walking with him. She takes him out of the room where everyone is at and walks down a quieter hall.

"I didn't think that you would be able to get away from your admirers."

"It wasn't easy." She says to him.

"You seem quite happy."

"I have no reason not to be in a happy mood. Even though my husband is not here, he is pretty much in charge of a country. My daughter Cattleya is lively and better than she has been in a long time. And my eldest has been calm and happy. It is all thanks to you."

"I am happy for your happiness then."

She stops walking and looks at him.

He stops walking as well.

"Has Eleonore been behaving? How has she been with everyone else?"

"Your daughter has been great to have around. She has been very helpful in so many ways. She has also been getting along with everyone else pretty nicely."

"That is good. I was a little worried at first, but now I am a little more comfortable."

"I've been wanting to ask you something. This might be a sore spot, but I want to know how you feel about the whole situation."

She pauses a moment before answering, which slightly worries him.

"If you are asking me if I am okay with her being your kept woman, then I have accepted it. I would rather her actually be married to you. I'm not entirely fond of one of my daughters being in such a position but it's not possible because you are marrying the others. If you are asking me if I am satisfied with her choice in men, then yes. Seeing you two is what has really convinced me to be okay with things. My daughter and I . . . . argued . . . over this. I accepted it at the time, but I wasn't really convinced. But, she has changed. Watching her tonight with you has melted my heart. I couldn't deny her the happiness that she seems to be in. My husband is in agreement with me as well."

He blushes.

"Just don't let that change, or we might have to have some words like I have had with Julio over Louise getting captured."

"I would rather not have to have that kind of conversation."

"I am glad that we are in agreement."

She surprises him by giving him a hug.

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Later on he takes another step out from the party to walk down a quiet hallway again.

Aimee was trailing nearby.

Eleonore eventually comes searching for him and finds him. She links her arm with his after making sure no one else is around.

"Is everything all right, my love?"

"Yeah. I am just not used to going to so many of these high class events. I know that I am supposed to get used to it, but it's just been a lot recently."

"I'm sorry I dragged you out to this."

He waves his hands.

"Don't get me wrong. I have been enjoying spending this time with you. This party has been a convenient way to be close to you."

"Well, how about a little release to perk you back up." She whispers to him.

"Really? Now?"

She smiles and nods.

"I wouldn't mind a little break as well. I have gotten a little used to things being a little more relaxed since I have been around you. We can only do just a little bit though. We don't want to ruin the main event tonight."

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Port city Rosynth, Albion.

Saito and Friedrich are just staring at each other.

"I can't seem to get away from you, can I?" Friedrich says to him.

Saito smirks and just shrugs.

"Maybe you're following me."

Friedrich's eyes go wide.

"What!"

Saito waves him off.

"I am just joking."

While gripping his clipboard very tightly, Friedrich just simply smiles at him.

Henrietta and Agnes are also standing nearby.

"So, are we on your list?"

"Even if you weren't, I don't think that it would be very wise for me to refuse you."

"You could always humor me and say no." Saito retorts.

The Germanian sighs and puts his hand over his face. His hand rolls over his mustache as it glides down.

"Please, just leave me to my peace."

"Shall I need permission for them as well?" Henrietta says innocently to the Germanian while motioning to Siesta, Eleonore, Tiffania and Weylyn.

"Oh, no. He didn't bring you into this as well, did he?"

Henrietta simply shrugs and gives a little giggle.

He sighs.

"Thank you for your diligence Mr. Alexander." Henrietta politely says to him.

He bows to her.

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After doing their business in Albion, Saito and Tiffania had decided to take a little detour along the way back and visit her cottage.

Siesta had packed them a little something to eat together.

They ate and reminisced about how they met.

She had danced for him again in the moonlight like she did for him before.

Eventually, they found themselves curled up together in front of her fireplace.

She is lying on front of him, in his arms.

"This time alone with you means a lot to me, dear."

"I am enjoying it too, Tiffa."

"I really mean it. I owe a lot to you. I have so much happiness in my life because of you."

"Even with all of the hickups that have happened along the way?"

She nods.

"I feel at home with you and the others." She admits to him.

"Well, I owe a lot to you. I owe my life to you. Without you, I might not even be alive right now to be enjoying your company."

"And we wouldn't be able to enjoy some of the other pleasures of being in each other's company."

He nods in agreement.

"I think that we should enjoy some of that while we are alone here while we have the opportunity."

"That sounds really good to me."

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Saito was relaxing in his bed at his mansion after returning back from Albion.

Tiffania and Eleonore both found themselves walking down the hallway towards their lover's room.

They both stop and look at each other.

"Were you, by chance, coming down here for the same thing that I was coming down here for?

Tiffania blushes in embarrassment and turns red all the way up to the tips of her elven ears.

She looks down while touching her index fingers together.

"Maybe." Tiffania whines out.

Eleonore crosses her arms while looking at the other blond-haired woman.

She shifts her glasses slightly.

"I'll make you a deal."

"A deal?" Questions Tiffania.

Eleonore nods.

"I am willing do this with you because I remember how accepting you were towards me to begin with."

Tiffania cants her head to the side while she still tries to figure out what Eleonore is trying to say.

Eleonore blushes.

"I am sure you want to be with him just as much as I do right now. So, I propose that we both sleep with him tonight."

The half-elf starts pointing her index fingers together again.

"Um . . . um . . . um." She says sheepishly and undecidedly.

The blond Valliere links her arm with Tiffania's and starts to walk with her towards Saito's room.

"I am sure it might be bound to happen eventually anyways. So let's see if we can make this work. Besides, I have read that it is every man's dream to be with two women at the same time."

"Really?" Innocently asks Tiffania.

Eleonore nods her head.

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Omake

Karin?

After the party at the Valliere estate had ended, Saito was waiting in his room for Eleonore to show up.

The lights were pretty dim in his room, so it was pretty dark.

He hears a knock on his door.

He gets a devious smirk.

'I am going to surprise her.' He thinks as he slowly approaches the door.

He quickly opens the door, pulls in the woman standing there and begins kissing her.

He pulls away from the kiss and opens his eyes.

He freezes in his tracks when he sees Karin standing there in front of him.

She blushes.

"My, oh my. And here I was just coming to personally check and make sure that you were doing all right."

He scratches the back of his head nervously.

"I am so sorry. It wasn't you that I was expecting be at my door. I was expecting . . ."

"Eleonore."

He sighs and nods.

"Maybe you were just secretly hoping that it was me. I know how you like mature women."

She locks the door.

"But. . . "

"Eleonore will just have to wait."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 64 of my story.

Yes. I did make a set up for a bunch of lemon scenes in this chapter

No. I am not writing all of those scenes.

I will write one for scene with Eleonore, Tiffania, and Saito

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 10

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	65. Chapter 65: To Date A Harem Pt 4

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-Five

To Date A Harem Pt. 4

The morning after his night with Eleonore and Tiffania.

Saito was sitting on the couch in the library with Oriana sitting across from him in a chair.

Siesta sets down some tea for them.

"Thanks Siesta." He says to her in kind.

She gives him a peck on the cheek and then walks away with a smile on her face.

Trying to grab his attention away from watching Siesta as she walks away, Oriana speaks up.

"So what is it that you wanted to talk with me about?"

He turns back to her.

"I know that you have been eagerly waiting for today."

She smiles and has a slight glow about her.

"I most certainly have been. Nothing is wrong, is there?"

He shakes his head.

"No. Nothing is wrong. I want to let you know that I purposely had you wait this long for a reason. I hope that you hadn't become too anxious over the wait."

"I have tried to be as patient as possible, but why did you purposely make me wait?"

"I had to discuss things with all of the others before today. I had to know how they felt. Now, I am going to ask you how you feel. Do you still want to be with me?"

Without even the slightest bit of hesitation she replies back to him

"Yes. Of course I do. My feelings for you have not changed."

"Are you sure that this isn't the bonds influence coming back."

She shakes her head.

"What about the fact that I have so many other women around me? Do you really want a man with so many women in his life that he is sexually active with?"

She gives him a soft smile.

"I have no problem sharing you with the others. I welcome it. They make you happy. They make you strong. You don't seem to see that everyone around you becomes attracted to you. You make the women around you just as strong and happy as they do for you. If you weren't you, then all of us wouldn't be willing to do the things we've done to be with you. Henrietta and Tabitha are both marrying you. Eleonore gave up the role of keeping her family name going to be with you. Siesta has joyfully taken on so much for you. She is your maid; your partner, your lover, and your support. Tiffania doesn't even care about being a mistress because she gets to be with her soul mate. You two are each other's savior. Agnes is living her life. She pines for your attention, but yet she still loves you so much that she is willing to stand aside while everyone gets their turns with you."

He just sits there in awe from everything she is saying to him.

"You treat everyone the same. How could any of us not love you more and more? I want my life to be yours, and it is yours. You saved me and gave me a fresh start. You are the kindest and most loving master that I have ever had. I want to be as much to you as everyone else is to you. You have been here for me, and I will be here for you for as long as I have the breath in me to do so."

He could see the tears in her eyes from how passionate she was in what she was saying. He felt it through their bond as well. She made no effort to hide it from him.

Her speech was overcoming him so much that he couldn't even speak because he was so choked up.

Time nearly stood still as he got up from the couch and walked around the coffee table towards her. Her face followed him the whole time.

He places his hands on either side of her face and plants his lips softly against hers.

"Well, I guess that seals the deal." Derflinger softly mutters during their kiss.

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Shortly thereafter.

Saito and Oriana were flying on his earth dragon that he created. She was cradled against his back and had her arms wrapped around him. She was smiling from ear to ear.

He lands on a particular spot of land on his estate.

"Isn't this where you were planning on creating your army's encampment?" She asks him diligently.

"You are very correct, Oriana."

He gets off of the dragon and helps her down.

"What made you land here? I was enjoying our little private ride together."

"I brought you here because I wanted to ask for your help. You managed Albion for a while. I have no experience doing that kind of stuff. I enlisted Eleonore's help as well, but she will be assisting more with magic training. I want your assistance in helping me lead and helping me become a great leader. I am going to be king soon. I will have multiple countries looking up me and I will be in charge of my own army. Will you be a part of that with me?"

She nods.

"You didn't even have to ask me. Of course I will. I am your loyal servant after all, even if you don't like to hear it."

He was about to retort, but she quickly embraces him and stifles him with a kiss.

When she pulls away, he gives her a grin.

"That was awfully cheeky of you."

She shrugs.

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That evening.

A bath was drawn for him in his mansion.

Oriana walks into the room with just a towel on.

He quirks an eyebrow.

Siesta walks in with her as well in her usual maid uniform. She is holding a bucket with everything that was needed for the bath.

"Dare I ask?"

Both of the girls smile at him.

"Oriana insisted on helping you with you bath. So, I obliged her." Siesta says to him.

"I didn't want our day together to end." Adds Oriana.

"Would it be all right with you if she took my place and helped you with your bath tonight?"

Siesta asked him this in a very sincere tone, but she clearly knew what the outcome would be.

"That would be fine, Siesta."

'I would certainly try to join in if it wasn't for the fact that I want to let her have some alone time with him.

The maid quickly walks over to him while he is in the bath and gives him a little peck on the lips. As she turns and begins to head for the door, the two girls smile and nod to each other.

"I will get a couple of robes ready for you for when you are ready to get out of the bath." She says as she leaves.

After Siesta had left, Oriana slowly takes off her towel.

Saito couldn't help but ogle her beautiful body. She catches him doing this.

"I am glad to see that you approve of my body."

He turns his head away in embarrassment.

She slowly steps into the bath with him. She purposely gives him a close and full frontal view of herself before slinking down into the bath.

"It was you, after all, that enhanced my body by making it scar-free. May I wash your back?"

He nods and turns his back to her.

In the middle of scrubbing his back, she stops and presses herself against him. She makes sure that her warm breasts press nicely against his toned back. She also embraces him from behind by wrapping her arms around him.

"I was also hoping we could consummate our night together as well. I really want to, and I have really been longing for it. I have really, really been longing for it." She emphasizes that last part.

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Probably distracted by your own throws of passions, I have felt your . . . passion . . . . during your pleasures with the other girls."

He turns completely red.

"You didn't?" He asks in disbelief.

She nods.

"I have." Is her simple reply.

"I guess that I should grant your request with the respect for the fact that you have probably had a severe case a female's version of blue balls."

'If that is the case, then you should with me as well. I've felt it too.' Adds Serena.

'Oh my god!' He inwardly shouts.

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Sometime later, in Galia.

Saito and Tabitha were walking the streets of a city near the capital. A festival was put on in their honor. They had a handful of guards from Lord Conradin's army as escort.

'I can't believe that it's been about a month and a half since we let the cat out of the bag. I haven't fully enjoyed all of the travelling around, but I can't argue with the fact that it's been nice not having to hide my relationship with Henrietta. And now I am enjoying a day with Tabitha.' He thinks to himself.

'You must be having some good thoughts. I can feel your happiness.' The blue-haired princess communicates to him.

She links her arm with his and he smiles at her.

"I am really enjoying our date together today." He says to her.

She pulls him down for a kiss, and then she rushes along, pulling him along with her as she rushes over to a bakery stand.

Her eyes glow slightly as she sees some of the vendor's freshly made delights.

The man and woman behind the stand bow to them.

"Hello, your highness. And welcome to our bakery stand."

She nods to them and starts eying up all of the bakery that they had made.

Saito stares in awe.

"All of this looks and smells so delicious. I can easily tell that you two must love doing this." Saito says to them.

The woman smiles and blushes from his compliment.

"We certainly do. It has been especially so recently. Things have been livening up in this country ever since Lady Charlotte has taken back the throne." Says the man.

"Please, is there anything we can get for you?" The woman adds.

Tabitha looks over everything carefully, but then her eyes go wide and she gets a big smile on her face when she sees something that kind of looks like a flat pancake.

The woman puts her hands up to her face in shock.

"Of course! How could I have not suggested that? You two must be on a date today and that is the perfect thing for a young couple such as yourselves."

Saito scratches his head for a second and looks in wonder.

"What is it?" He dumbfoundedly asks.

"This is our special today. I worked especially hard on the filling for it. These are crepes."

Saito pauses in thought for a moment while the couple behind the counter make up a couple crepes for the young lovers.

Then it dawns on him.

He goes to turn to Tabitha and when he does, he finds that she is holding hers out to him.

"Couples that are in love share these in stories that I've read." She says to him.

He smiles at her.

'Just like some of the manga from my world as well. It's nice to see that some things that are similar to my world.

He graciously takes a bite.

"This is really good!" He quickly says as the mouth-watering flavor of the mixed berry sauce hits his taste buds.

Then he offers his to her and then she takes a bite of his.

The husband and wife behind the counter watch and enjoy the sight of a young couple enjoying their crepes.

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Saito and Tabitha were now riding back to her palace after spending a little more time at the festival and watching some entertainers there.

She was leaning against him in the carriage and they were holding hands.

He gives her hand a loving squeeze.

"What was that for?"

"I was just remembering how you were before we got together. You were very secluded and practically lifeless, and now you are happy and more outgoing. Watching you today has especially reminded how animated you have been."

"How could I not be happy? I have my mother back, and I have you."

They share another short but passionate kiss.

"You weren't so well off either before we got together."

"We both needed each other in one way or another."

"I think it was that way for all of us."

"Oriana basically said that as well."

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That night.

Saito was sitting in bed with just some shorts on.

Tabitha was in her nightgown and lying in bed next to him.

They were making out with each other and he started to try to slide her outfit up. She grabs his hand and stops him from getting too far.

He takes a break from kissing her.

"Is something wrong?" He asks.

"No, but we need to wait."

He quirks an eyebrow as he gives her a puzzled look.

"You will find out shortly." She says to him with a straight face.

Then, a split second later, she gets a slightly devious smirk on her face.

"I don't know what you are up to, but I am sure it will be very interesting."

She nods and blushes slightly. Then she distracts his thought by beginning to make out again with him.

He pulls her close and grabs her butt while doing so. She gives a light squeak when he does it, but she embraces him back and places a hand on his back.

After a few more moments of this, they hear a knock on her door.

She pulls away. Her face is pretty well flushed.

"I wonder who that could be."

She smiles at him and then slides off of the bed.

When she gets to the door and opens it, Siesta is standing there.

Then she gives Siesta nods and she walks inside.

After Tabitha closes the door, Siesta puts her hands on her hips after she gets a good look at her blue-haired cohort.

She waves her index finger at Tabitha accusingly.

"Did you start without me? You are looking pretty hot and heavy."

Tabitha blushes a little more.

"Almost." The princess admits.

"Wait. Without you?" Saito says to the maid.

They both nod to him and smile.

"We're sharing you tonight."

"Such a lucky man, you are. You get to be with your soon-to-be wife and your personal maid."

His eyes go wide in shock. And a happy smile makes its way to his facial expression.

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Omake

Sylphid?

That night.

Saito was sitting in bed with just some shorts on.

Tabitha was in her nightgown and lying in bed next to him.

They were making out with each other and he started to try to slide her outfit up. She grabs his hand and stops him from getting too far.

He takes a break from kissing her.

"Is something wrong?" He asks.

"No, but we need to wait."

He quirks an eyebrow as he gives her a puzzled look.

"You will find out shortly." She says to him with a straight face.

Then, a split second later, she gets a slightly devious smirk on her face.

"I don't know what you are up to, but I am sure it will be very interesting."

She nods and blushes slightly. Then she distracts his thought by beginning to make out again with him.

He pulls her close and grabs her butt while doing so. She gives a light squeak when he does it, but she embraces him back and places a hand on his back.

After a short bit, she stops and looks at the door.

'Nothing.' She thinks to herself.

So, she goes back to doing what she was doing.

After a bit more, she stops again. This time, she gets out of the bed, walks over to the door, and opens it. After a peek outside the door, she closes it again. She puts her hands on her hips in slight annoyance.

"Are you alright?" Saito asks in wonder.

'What the heck is going on with her?'

She opens the door again and takes a look out. Then she closes it again.

'Where the heck could she be?'

"Okay, now you have to tell me what's going on."

Nothing but silence is heard from her as she ponders what she is going to do.

A few more moments go by without another word or motion.

'Maybe she fell asleep while waiting for the time to show up. She has been working very hard lately and traveling around a lot with us.'

She looks back over to her lover and he just stares back while trying to figure out what is going on with her.

She closes her eyes, and pauses in thought as she stands still for a moment.

When she is done, she opens her eyes and stares at him lovingly and has a blush on her cheeks.

A couple minutes later she walks up to the door and opens it.

Saito cants his head to the side as he sees Sylphid walking in.

Tabitha closes the door behind them.

"What is she doing here?" He asks his fiance.

"I'm here to have sex with you along with big sis, yeah!"

His jaw drops from her statement.

Then she proceeds to start stripping.

"I originally asked Siesta to be here. She didn't show up. I didn't want to lose my resolve. So, I invited Sylphid here instead."

"I really like you too." Sylphid adds.

"Is this . . . all right?" Tabitha shyly asks him.

His head nods up and down as he sees Sylphid's breast give a bounce up and down.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 65 of my story.

I will be writing lemon scene for Saito and Oriana. Then I will also write a scene for him, Tabitha, and Siesta.

I still have to write the scene from the last chapter as well.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 10

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	66. Chapter 66: Wedding Day

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-Six

Wedding Day

The wedding day.

At a noble estate in the city of Troyes, Galia.

Saito was getting dressed into his wedding outfit by Siesta. It was extravagant in some ways, but it also had a nice simplicity to it that he admired.

Oriana was also in the room.

"You girls had a lot of fun the other night, didn't you?" He asks the two of them.

Siesta giggles.

"We sure did. It was a lot of fun with just us girls." Siesta says in return.

"Luctiana really enjoyed herself as well." Adds Oriana.

"That reminds me, Ari and Guiche got along surprisingly well." Saito says with a chuckle.

"We are just fortunate that Ari and Luctiana didn't get discovered." Says his familiar.

"It was a little bit of a worry, but they really had fun." Siesta says cheerfully.

"It was really surprising to find out that Louise and Monmon were also there."

"That was a little awkward for me, but it was alright."

"That reminds me, are you sure that you are okay being in this city, Oriana? We were a little inconsiderate when we chose this place."

She lets out a hefty breath through her nose.

"I would be lying if I said that this isn't stirring up emotions, but I will be alright. This was a very good city to choose to have your ceremony. It is a good midpoint for everyone to come to."

"I wouldn't be a good boyfriend if I didn't worry about your feelings."

She blushes lightly from the comment.

"You can just make it up to me sometime."

"Deal."

Siesta smiles mischievously as she considers the possible ways he could make it up to the blond-haired woman.

"I hope everyone is in place so that nothing goes wrong."

"I am sure that we have all of our bases covered. There are a lot of extra guards in place. Lord Conradin, Jodoc, and their men have all come to aid us. Tiffania, Weylyn, Ari, and Luctiana are in the forest. I shall be heading off soon to take up my position as well."

"And, don't forget that Eleonore already had some spies stop a couple of plots already." Adds the maid.

"Someone would have to be pretty foolish to mess with your wedding ceremony."

"I suppose that you are right."

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At the gates of the city.

Friedrich ruffles through 3 sets of papers furiously as he tries to check in everyone that is coming into the city.

"Denied. You are not on my list."

"But I know Saito personally." The man argues back.

"Do you realize how many times I have heard that today? Now get back or you will be forcibly removed from my sight."

A young bespectacled woman who seems to be around 17 is also helping him out. She is dressed in a white, long sleeve top with a black skirt and black under bust corset. She is also wearing a cape that is black on the outside and purple on the inside.

"You have got to be kidding me! You look nothing like that lord. Besides, he is already here. Shall I notify him myself and let him handle his look-a-like?" She says to another man.

"Ummmmmmmmmmm. That will not be necessary." The man says in return and then takes off running.

He gets stopped by some of Jodoc's men before he can get too far.

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In a private room at a local inn.

Aimee and Guinevere gear up into their musketeer outfits.

Instead of putting on her usual musketeer cape, Guinevere puts on Oriana's cloak of invisibility.

Aimee hands her a slightly altered looking musket that has a scope on it.

Guinevere grabs the musket and turns invisible as she closes up the cloak.

"Are you ready?" Aimee asks.

"You bet." Guinevere replies.

They leave the room.

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Outside of the city, in the forest.

A group of five adventurers slowly make their way toward the city.

"C'mon! We lost a lot of time traveling this way."

"It was a necessary evil to bypass a lot of problems."

"I don't care how we do it as long as we get to kill him. He killed Joseph and I intend to pay him back for that, and then I can take over in Joseph's place."

Just as the third enemy says that, a group of vines amasses in front of the lot of them.

"What trickery is this?"

Luctiana comes out from the side. She is wearing a sunhat that had previously given to her.

"I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to enact your plan." She tells them.

"And who the hell are you?" One of the enemies shouts.

Another one draws a sword and points it at her.

"She is an obstacle in our way that needs to be removed for our glory."

"It doesn't matter who she is. Because I will be the one whom you will face if you continue. Sword, come to me!" Ari shouts.

Just as he shouts, his two sword slide out of their sheaths and float in front of him.

Vines pop out of the ground and entangle the 5 men after Tiffania casts a spell.

After that spell, she kneels down next to Weylyn and begins casting another spell.

One of the men pulls out a dagger and cuts away at the vines. He stands up to face the three elves just in time to see Weylyn grow twice in size.

"I don't know if I will be able to keep him calm if you continue." Tiffania nicely says to the man with the dagger."

"For joseph!" Shouts the man as he charges at Tiffania.

Weylyn quickly launches himself at the enemy and tears into his shoulder with his fearsome teeth.

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Inside of a tavern.

Jessica had taken up a position in the tavern and was getting drinks for customers. She sees a group of 4 men whispering to each other and decides to get close to the table.

"The ceremony should be starting soon. We need to get into position and then wait for our signal from Lord Bram."

"Matys spent a lot of time on this. So, don't screw it up."

"Shhh. Here is the bar maid."

She had already heard them though.

After setting down a couple of drinks, she walks away and nods to a cloaked woman in the corner of the room that had two men with her.

They get up and surround the table.

The woman and the men reveal themselves. It is Julia with two men from Jodoc's army.

"You were foolish to think that you could plot against this marriage." She says rather loudly to the 4 of them.

The group of men gets glares from all of the other patrons of the tavern.

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An airship glides through the sky with the confines of a cloud.

A man on the ship starts talking to the men.

"The time has nearly come to be rid of another member of the royal family of Galia. Joseph is gone and soon Charlotte. We will also be able to kill two birds with one stone and be rid of the one man that could stand in our way. Today will be a glorious day."

Some of the men start cheering.

Another man frantically runs towards the man that was talking.

"What's wrong!"

"Someone is approaching."

"It isn't him is it?"

"No, but it is just as bad!"

Just as he says that a crash is heard on the bow of the ship. Everyone turns their head they see a pink haired woman, clad in armor, atop a manticore.

"You weren't planning on crashing a wedding that I would like to see happen, now would you?" Karin says to them.

One of the men starts screaming. As he screams, he runs and jumps off of the stern of the ship. He shouts at the rest of them while he jumps.

"I stand a better chance of living this way!"

Karin gets off her manticore.

"Fetch."

It roars and jumps off of the ship to go after the man that jumped.

"Now, you can surrender this ship to me, or you can resist and face my wrath."

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The wedding starts. The outside of the city's beautiful cathedral is sanctioned off for an outdoor wedding.

Spells have been cast to enhance sound in the area to broadcast it to everyone within the region of city.

After some music plays to signify the beginning of the ceremony, an announcer comes out begins an opening speech.

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A nobleman and 4 guards enter into an abandoned building. They brandish the crest of his family quite prowdly.

"Let's go. The ceremony has started." Matys says to the other men.

"Yes, milord!" they say in return.

"Keep your eyes open for squatters. We can't have any witnesses. Kill indiscriminately." The lord says coldly.

After checking the first floor, they travel up a set of stairs to the second floor.

One of the men brakes off to check out the second floor as the others continue their way up to the third.

He starts checking the rooms on the floor, finding no one. He hears a creak from a room down the hall.

'So, it looks like there might be a squatter here after all.' The warrior thinks.

Cautiously, he approaches the room. Tip-toing would be useless with the armor he was wearing.

The sound of his sword being unsheathed echoes through the hallway.

The door to the room was open and he enters slowly. He initially sees no one, but the door closes behind him.

He turns to face the person that must have closed the door. He indiscriminately swings his sword as he turns.

"Wave smasher!" A female voice shouts.

A blast of water flings him and he slams against a magically reinforced wall. The force causes him to drop his sword and some blood spurts out of his mouth. After wiping off his face from the water, he looks at his assailant.

"Eleonore?"

"That would be correct." She says to him.

"There are more with me. They probably even heard the spell you used." He says to her while chuckling.

She shifts her glasses slightly with her middle finger.

"That would probably be an accurate assessment if it wasn't for the fact that I sound-proofed this room well in advance. And don't worry. They have their own fate awaiting them."

"You whore!"

Her eye twitches in anger.

"Filth like you could only wish I was."

She begins chanting a spell and an icicle begins forming in the air. It gets bigger and bigger. When it grows to be about 4 feet long, she launches it at him. It pierces right into his chest and impales him against the wall.

She opens the door and walks out.

'The one I am really concerned with is that lord.'

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The other men get to the third floor.

They break off and begin checking the rooms as well. One of them opens a door to a large room and finds a woman in white sitting in a chair in the middle of the room.

"Sir!"

The lord and the other men gather just inside of the room.

Oriana is sitting in an armchair. Her cloak rolls off of the chair like a queen sitting in a royal chair. She is leaning her head against a closed fist on one arm of the chair. Her other hand is nonchalantly resting on the other arm of the chair.

"It is about time you showed up. I was beginning to think that there were people out there with common sense."

The lord grumbles in anger at the accusation.

"How dare you speak to the lord in that manner?" One of the guards says to her disdainfully.

The lord waves him off and he silences.

"You were foolish to be here by yourself." Matys tells her.

"Do I look like a defenseless woman? But, if you are so confident, then you can answer a question for me."

Her calm demeanor almost makes him worry, but he steadies himself.

He takes note that she doesn't have a wand or sword with her.

"I guess I can answer a question before I kill you."

"Were you an associate of the late king Joseph?"

"Hah! Not a chance."

"That is good. I was beginning to worry that I missed someone and would have had to face my lord with such a failure."

"And who is your lord?"

"That is not a concern of yours. What is a concern of yours, is if you are going to make it out of here alive or not."

"How dare you! You aren't even a mage. You don't have a wand or a sword to defend yourself. Surround her!"

"You nobles are such simpletons." She retorts.

"Lord Bram, what are you doing here?" Comes a female voice from behind him.

"I recognize that voice." He says as he turns around to see Eleonore standing there.

Her wand pointed right into his face.

He starts sweating in worry.

"You must have killed my other guard."

"I did. Now, answer my question. Why are you here? You were introduced to me as a suitor and we even dated for a short while. Why are you betraying your kingdom?"

He puts his hand to his face.

"I got close to you so that I could try to find a way to get to the Queen and the princess at the time. A child like her shouldn't even be allowed to get into power. My family deserved it. I had changed that plan because I couldn't stand to be around a bitch like you long enough to enact my plan. I even killed my own father to get into power."

Oriana could see the anger growing in Eleonore's face.

The fires of hell were burning inside of the young Valliere woman.

"Now, now now, Eleonore. Don't waste your time with him. Let my pets take care of it." Her comrade says to her.

The lord turns back to Oriana, whom is now standing up.

She puts her clenched fist in front of her and opens it up. Her forehead glows and she blows on the petals that were in her hand. The petals turn into 3 fenrir hounds.

"By the way, your screams won't be heard because I sound-proofed this building."

All of the men get worried looks on their faces.

Oriana also throws a bear tooth on the floor and it turns into a bear.

"Keep the lord alive. I need to question him."

Oriana nods. With the wave of a hand, her summoned creatures roar and begin their slaughter.

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The wedding has continued on.

Saito, Tabitha, and Henrietta are all in view along with the pope.

The pope was referring to Tabitha by her real name of course.

A man waits in the crowd of people surrounding the area nervously.

'Why hasn't Matys done the signal yet? Did something go wrong?'

He bends down and secretively pulls out a wand from his pant leg.

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Julia walks over to Agnes, whom is standing on the sidelines of the ceremony, and whispers into her ear.

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While standing there and listening to the pope, Saito hears Oriana in his head.

'What is it, Oriana?'

'I don't mean to distract you, but we have a problem. Eleonore and I captured a man that was conspiring against Henrietta. His name is Lord Matys Bram.'

'Lord Bram?' He questions.

'Yes. Eleonore said that he has a lackey that is always around him.'

'I remember him.'

'Good. I need you to look for him. I am wandering inside of the crowd.'

He tries to calmly look amongst the crowd. After a couple of minutes he spots him. He communicates the location to her.

Agnes takes note that it seems like Saito keeps looking out. She takes note of Oriana in the crowd with her hood up. She gives a little smirk.

'That white hood makes a nice warning beacon to the rest of us.'

She quietly begins to make her way around to Oriana's position.

As she makes her way around, the man nervously watches her. He sees her get closer and closer to his position.

He gives a touch to the three guards around him and they slowly position themselves between him the direction that Agnes is in.

Agnes closes in on the man and he hurriedly points his wand out.

Just as he does this a shot is heard and the man's hand gets blown apart.

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On top of the Inn that Aimee and Guinevere had gotten ready in.

Guinevere had been watching what was going on and quickly pulls out her rifle and takes aim through the scope at the man that Oriana was near and that Agnes was approaching. She sees him point his wand and quickly, but carefully, fires at his hand.

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The man screams in pain and instantly retracts his arm.

The three soldiers draw their swords at the captain, but she quickly stabs one of them with her own sword. She shoves him into one of the other guards and the two of them fall to the ground. The third one stops in his tracks as she quickly draws her hand musket and points it at him.

Siesta with Sylphid, along with Julio and his dragon, fly down next to the wedding trio and the Pope.

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After the crowd had calmed down from the commotion, the wedding had continued and concluded without any more interruptions.

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Several days later, at Lagdorian lake.

Night time.

Saito, along with his wives and mistresses step into the lake one by one.

Aimee, Guinevere, and Julia keep watch on the sidelines.

Serena appears before them in a normal size. The tips of her toes barely touch the surface of the lake.

"I, Henrietta, Queen of Tristan, Hereby vow to love Saito and the rest of his wives and mistresses for the rest of my life."

Everyone else follows up with a similar vow.

After they all profess their vows, Serena holds her arms out openly to the lot of them.

I, Serena, spirit of water, hereby acknowledge and seal your vows to be recognized by all of the spirits.

A bright blue light engulfs the area. When it dissipates, a very fine rain falls upon them for a brief moment.

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Just as everyone was getting ready to leave, Aimee drags her two other cohorts a couple feet into the lake with her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Julia asks.

"I would like to know that too." Adds Guinevere.

Aimee releases her grip from Julia and puts her hand next to her mouth as she whisper out into the lake.

"I vow to love him, too."

Julia and Guinevere both put their hands on their faces in embarrassment.

"What's with you three? Let's get going!" Shouts Agnes.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 66 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 10

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	67. Chapter 67: Saito's Army

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

WOW! – Over 200,000 views – Thank you everyone for having such interest in my story. It is truly amazing to have so many views to my first story.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-Seven

Saito's Army

A couple weeks after he had sent out notice that he was recruiting for his army, Saito is sitting at a table on his land. This is followed by a line of people waiting to see him.

Several students from the school that Eleonore taught at were helping people fill out applications that didn't know how to write.

Eleonore was evaluating the mages that had come.

Agnes was also there. She and a handful of other musketeers were there. She was there to help evaluate the fighting prowess of the applicants.

Oriana was also nearby. She is keeping an eye out for traitors that she might recognize from Joseph's rule.

A young man walks up to the table and puts his paper down.

Saito looks up at the man and eyes him up.

He has brown hair and was wearing normal civilian clothing.

"You seem very familiar." Saito says to him.

"I should. You let me live when you went to Albion to save a pink-haired girl named Louise. You called me a terrible man for breaking off my engagement because I went to war."

Saito's eyes light up as if a lightbulb turned on in his head.

"Oh, Yeah! Now I remember you. You injured your leg."

"It's all better now."

"That is great to hear. So, what made you want to come to my army?"

"I never forgot what you said to me and how you treated me. I also couldn't stay away from the army for long. When I heard about you recruiting people, I knew that I had to join your cause. My wife has been very understanding about this. She is actually hoping to see you some day."

"That can certainly be arranged for you."

Saito glances through his papers to make sure everything that is necessary, is there.

"I would probably just pass you through, but you have to get through Agnes' evaluation. She said that there are no exceptions."

They both look over just in time to see the previous applicant land flat on his back. She points her sword at his face.

"If that is all you've got, then you aren't going to make it very far. This is going to be the King's elite army." She agitatedly scolds him.

"But this is my dream."

"If you want to get in that badly, then train hard and come back another time."

Saito and Henry look back at each other.

"I hope you survive."

"Thanks." Henry sarcastically replies.

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As he glances over a previous applicant's paperwork, a young woman approaches the table. She has blond hair, a long sleeve top that is white, a black under bust corset, a black skirt, and a cape that is purple on the inside. She is also holding a stack of papers.

Se clears her throat to get his attention. And he looks up at her.

"Hello, your highness."

"Hello. I recognize you. You were helping out Friedrich the day of my wedding. I apologize for not formerly greeting you then. I was quite busy."

"I am sure that you certainly were." She stoicly says to him.

Then she lays down her stack of papers.

"Here is all of my paperwork. I have a detailed list on the top detailing everything included and in the exact order that it is in."

He starts to take a look at the top sheet.

'Geeze! It's no wonder why he had her helping him out. She seems just like him.' He thinks.

"Inside you will find a letter that I wrote as to why I should be here. There is also a list of my education and things that I am good at. There are also several letters of recommendation, including one from my father."

He gives her a questioning look as she mentions the fact that there is a letter from her father.

"By chance, who is your father?"

She shifts her glasses slightly.

"My father is Friedrich and my name is Elisabeth."

A devious smile creeps into his facial features.

"You're hired."

She gets a slightly flustered look.

He could tell that his response bothered her.

"But. . . . . Aren't you going to look over all of the paperwork that I worked hard on for you?"

"No. I don't need to."

She gets even more flustered.

"But . . . " She mumbles out.

'My father did warn me about him.'

"There is a lot of paperwork here for me to go through. Would it make you feel a little more at ease if I read at least one of the letters that you brought?"

She nods.

He looks for the letter that her father wrote. It is sealed.

He opens it up and begins reading.

"Dear Saito,

I am sure that you are just opening this letter to humor my daughter. After all, I know how you are. She is well educated and she pays as much attention to detail as I do. I taught her everything that I know. She might not be a warrior or a battle mage, but she will be just as valuable to you. I sent her to you because I know that I can trust her with you. Just don't tease her too much. Please take good care of my child."

After a chuckle, he folds the letter back up and looks at her.

"I can definitely use someone like you. I will need someone to keep track of all of the bookkeeping for my army. It will be a lot to keep track of. Are you sure that this is what you want to do?"

She gives a nod.

"You came as a high recommendation from my father. Of course I do."

"Very well."

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A warrior approaches the table. He has dirty blond hair. He has a sword strapped to his side and he is wearing a basic suit of armor.

He hands Saito his paper.

"Hello . . . . . Auden." Saito says to him as he looks at his papers.

"What are you doing here?" They hear Agnes shout from the side.

She had abruptly stopped the person she was evaluating and shoves through some people to get to the table.

Auden gets a terrified look on his face as he sees Agnes approach.

"I asked a question. What are you doing here?" She repeats.

Saito worriedly looks back and forth between the two.

"What's going on Agnes? Who is he?"

"He was part of the army that you took on in Albion."

Saito's eyes go wide after hearing her say that as a flood of emotions rush through him.

"She is right. I was part of that army. You spared my life on the battlefield for some reason. I can't believe you made it out of that. I thought for sure that you were dead. I came here because I wanted to show my appreciation for sparing my life. I want to fight for you. I have learned a lot from my experience. I can't get away from being a warrior, but I also wanted to fight for someone with a just cause."

"Are you just going to cower and run away at the first sign of trouble?" Asks Agnes.

"I guess that is fair question considering that I did run away during that battle."

Agnes nods in agreement.

"If I ran into the same situation like that again, then it's possible I might do it again. I have a family to think about. I can tell you that I will give you everything that I've got until the very brink of that happening though."

"That is a very honest statement."

"Hmph." Comes from Agnes.

"I still reserve the right to judge you, but perhaps we will keep you on for a trial basis. That is assuming you can get past Agnes' evaluations."

The man gulps.

"Trust me. I am not going to go easy on you." She coldly says to him.

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Aimee and Guinevere both approach the table and hold out papers. They both have huge smiles on their faces.

Before they could even utter a word, Agnes comes up behind then and pulls on their ears.

"What the hell are you doing? I was wondering where you went off to. You are already a part of the royal guard and are at his side. What more do you want?"

'More than you would probably want to know.' The two think to themselves.

Agnes continues to pull them by the ear and walks off with them.

Saito shakes his head and smiles in amusement as they walk away.

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Evening was starting to set in.

Saito yawns.

"I hope that was the last one. I am so tired."

"I agree."

He was just about to get up when a hooded woman approaches with three children around her.

"Please, do you have room for another?"

He looks at her questioningly.

"And who might you be?"

She pulls down her hood to reveal her green hair.

"Fouquet!" Shouts Agnes as she takes a fighting stance.

The children that were with Matilda gather behind her back

Saito holds out a hand to halt Agnes.

"That was you on the mountain, wasn't it?" Questions Saito.

The green-haired woman nods.

Oriana gets up from a chair she was sitting in, puts a hand on his shoulder, and whispers into his ear.

"Not everyone worked for Joseph willingly."

'She can be trusted?' He asks his familiar.

'You have my word.'

"You took a big chance coming here." He says to her.

"I know that I did, but I didn't have too many other choices. I was running out of options and I was hoping to gain your help even though I am undeserving."

"Who are these children?"

"These are three of the children that I have been trying to protect. Things have been getting hard lately, so I had to do something more for them."

"Are there more?"

"Yes, but mostly younger. I left them in the care of another one of the older children. I am sure that we can be of use to you somehow, if you are willing to have us."

He crosses his arms and sinks back into his chair for a moment. After a few moments of thinking, he stares up at her.

"So, what were you going to do with other children?"

"I will have to figure that out. I will probably be away from them more often than not."

"That won't do."

"Huh?" She mutters in a perplexed manner.

The others give him a funny look as well.

"I have an idea, and I think that you would fit quite well into my plan."

"What is that?"

"I already have people helping me with my army, but I could use some good people to help me with my farm and winery. I need someone to help manage it and keep everything in check. You would also have to coordinate with my book keeper. Some of the children could help out as well. If you are willing to do that, then you can have all of them here. Then, you're not too far from them."

She nearly breaks down from the happiness she is feeling, but does her best to keep her composure.

He could see the look of relief on her face as he said that to her.

"I promise that I won't let you down or regret this decision."

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Omake

Saito's Harem - Expanded

Saito wakes up in his mansion.

He sits up and Henrietta is lying next to him with a very satisfied smile on her face.

He smiles at her.

'Why do I feel so sore and tired?' He thinks.

He slips out of the bed and he sees that he is naked.

'Oh man. What happened last night?'

He puts on his boxers.

'Maybe I will go get something to drink.'

He exits his room and starts to head down a long hallway with lots of doors lining it. All of the doors seem to be open.

He scratches the back of his head.

'Why are all of these open?'

He starts to walk down the hallway and gets to the first doorway. He looks inside and sees a very naked figure staring out the window. The woman standing there has long blue hair.

She turns around and it is Sylphid in her human form.

"Umm." Saito starts to say.

Sylphid makes a shushing motion and then points to the bed.

In the bed is another blue-haired girl whom also has a very satisfied smile on her face. That girl happens to be Tabitha.

Sylphid walks over to Saito and gives him a hug and a kiss.

He blushes from the kiss.

"You wore her out last night, so she is still sleeping." She whispers into his ear.

"Okay." He whispers back and heads out the door.

After closing the door he scratches the back of his head.

'What was that?'

The next door down the hallway was partially closed.

He starts to peer inside.

"Hello?" He starts to say.

The door rushes open and Tiffania jumps him. They fall to the floor. Her large breasts press against ham and she showers him with kisses.

"Hey! Leave some room for me."

Saito peers around Tiffania to see who said that.

He sees Luctiana waving at him vigorously.

She bends over and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you soooo much for last night. I learned so much from you two. I tried to just watch, but I couldn't help but join in. I wanted to know what it felt like. By the way, where did you learn some of that?"

His face turns bright red.

"I think I need to go get a drink."

"Okay, but make sure you come back and tell me."

Tiffania kisses him again before he leaves.

He continues down the hallway and gets to the next door. He looks inside.

Morning light shines beautifully off of Agnes. It gives her a soft glow.

She was naked and was starting to put on some socks.

She looks over and blushes.

She gets up and walks over to him without actually looking at him.

She starts to close the door, but then opens it again to give him a kiss.

Then she quickly shuts the door.

He looks over and sees Julia sticking her head out from the next room.

'Oh no. What else did I do?' He thinks to himself.

He slowly walks over to the next door and gets jumped by three women.

Julia, Aimee, and Guinevere are all hugging and kissing on him. They are all in just their underwear.

"Hello." He says to the three of them.

"Good morning Saito." Guinevere says.

"You were quite the man last night." Aimee says.

Guinevere nods.

"Are you already coming back for more?" Guinevere adds.

"Let's give the poor man a break. He had quite a busy night. Don't worry about Agnes. She is probably just embarrassed from everything you two did last night. She must have taken some of the advice we gave her." Julia says to him.

'Oh my god!' He thinks to himself.

"I am almost afraid to go to the next door." He says aloud.

He slowly approaches the door.

He is met at the doorway by Cattleya in a robe that is closed.

"Cattleya?" He says in surprise.

"Good morning handsome."

He gets a sweat drop.

"Does your family know you are here?"

'They might kill me for this.'

Eleonore pops out from beside Cattleya. She is wearing a black corset.

"Of course we do." Eleonore says to him.

She puts her hands on his shoulders and pulls him in for a deep kiss.

"I can't wait to do that again." Eleonore says.

Saito sees a girl sitting up in the bed with a blanket wrapped around her. The pink hair and the size are a dead giveaway that it was Louise.

'Are you kidding me?' He thinks.

"Would you children please keep it down? I am trying to sleep here." Comes a voice from a couch with the back facing the doorway.

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face.

"Who was that?" Saito asks.

The person starts to sit up and he sees another pink-haired woman.

His jaw drops.

Their mother, Karin, looks over the couch.

"Oh. Good morning Saito. You really made me keep my namesake last night."

Saito scratches his head.

"Karin of the HEAVY WIND." Cattleya whispers into his ears.

The Duke is going to kill me." He says aloud.

"We did owe you for everything that you have done for our family. I will just have to explain that to him. We might have to keep you around though." Karin says to him.

Cattleya kisses him on the cheek.

"Thank you Saito." Cattleya says softly to him.

Saito backs out of the room and continues on with a hand on his face.

"Okay. What happened last night?"

He starts to remember, but it comes to him in bits and pieces.

He gets to the next door.

He hears giggling inside.

He sees Montmorency and another girl sitting with her. They are sitting on the bed wearing their pajamas and are giggling.

'Isn't that Katie, The girl that Guiche was two-timing Montmorency with?'

Montmorency and Katie wave at him.

He waves back.

"Guiche deserves that." Mon-mon says.

"That was so much fun." Katie admits.

'I remember having a party last night. How many people were here?' He thinks.

He starts to walk again.

He peeks into the next room and all he sees is the metal tub that he used to make a bath while he was at the academy.

It was also very windy in the room for some reason and there was a pile of dirt in the corner as well.

"Did we have a pool party?"

"I really hope you start to remember last night."

Serena slowly starts to take human form and leans over the tub.

"You performed quite well my avatar." Serena says.

He blushes.

"All will be explained soon enough." Zephira says to him.

"Oh man!"

"You know, if you are thirsty you can always come back in here." She says as she pats at the water.

He walks away clutching his face again.

The next room seems kind of dark and he peers inside.

'Is there actually an empty room?'

"Hello my master." Sheffield says as she slowly comes into light. She has a huge smile on her face.

She walks up, presses herself against him and gives him a soft kiss.

"I think that you might have outdone yourself last night." She says to him.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take." He says as he shakes his head.

A woman comes up next to him with long, green hair in a ponytail.

She is wearing a navy nightie and had a book with her.

She shifts her glasses a little bit.

"I didn't think that you were going to wake up any time soon."

"Fouquet?"

She nods.

"After learning the error of my ways from dealing with you, I have decided to become your personal secretary and take care of all of your needs and to book all of your dates. You have a lot to take responsibility for." Fouquet says to him.

He starts to sweat.

"Please tell me there isn't much more."

"Okay. There aren't very many doors left."

"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel much better." He says to her.

She shrugs.

They walk to the next door.

"It's closed?"

"You didn't expect every door to be open, did you?" Fouquet says to him.

"I guess not."

He slowly opens the door and his jaw drops to the sight before him.

"No way." He whispers to Fouquet.

"Yes way." She says.

He looks back in.

To his shock he sees ten naked women laying on a bunch of matts that were slid together. The outer edges of the room were littered with musketeer clothing and gear.

He slowly closes the door.

"I told you that there weren't many more doors." Fouquet says to him.

"How the hell did I do all of this?"

"Maybe I can answer that question." Another female voice says.

He looks over to see Kirche in a very see through robe that was purple in color.

"At your party last night I gave you a little something to help you out."

"Oh, no. What did you give me?"

She holds up an empty potion bottle and a bottle with some blue pills in it.

"These were some things are family secrets to help lose inhibition and to stay strong for many hours."

"Wow. Now I can understand a lot more."

Kirche sexily slinks behind him and wraps her arms around him. She kisses him on the neck.

"I have never heard of these having that great of an effect though. You were quite amazing."

She blows him a kiss as he makes his way to the kitchen.

He is met with another mind gushing sight when he gets to the kitchen.

Siesta, Jessica, and a few other girls from the Enchanted Fairy were all in the kitchen getting breakfast together. The thing is, they are all only in aprons.

"All of you too?" He says.

Siesta walks up to him and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Good morning Saito. You spoiled my fun. I was hoping to personally bring you your breakfast." Siesta says to him.

"You don't remember last night, do you?" Jessica asks.

He gulps.

"Well. . . . . . . No."

"I was worried about that. By the way, you didn't think I could let my cousin have all of the fun with you, now did you? Bring the mirror girls."

A couple of the girls bring over a mirror and something for him to drink.

He takes a big gulp from his drink and looks into the mirror.

It starts to show him everything that happened last night.

His face gets completely beat red as he watches everything that happened.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 67 of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 10

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	68. Chapter 68: City On Fire

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

I am so sorry that this has taken sooooooo long to come out. I don't think that I have waited this long to post a new chapter since I have been writing this story. Thank you for your patience.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-Eight

City On Fire

After arriving by carriage, Saito and Henrietta were in conference with Tabitha at her palace in Galia.

Saito reads a letter that had been sent from the Pope.

"So, he wants me to go to Romalia and investigate the mountain range. Apparently, there have been some tremors coming from the mountain range."

"So, he thinks that you might be able to help out because of your avatar abilities?" Questions Henrietta.

"That's precisely it." He replies.

"Do you think that this is within your realm?" Asks Tabitha.

"It might be something I can handle. I won't know for sure until I get there."

"Pardon me for interjecting, but could there be any concern that there might be something more going on there? After all, it is called the fire dragon mountain range." Says Agnes.

"Hey, brother?" Derflinger says to Saito as he clanks from his sheath.

Saito could hear a bit of hesitation from his sword.

"What is it, Derf?"

"I don't want to get you too alarmed, and the spirits might even inform you of this as well, but there is a dragon encased in that mountain range."

"What?!" Replies everyone in the room.

"Agnes' worries are correct. It might not be coming from the dragon, but there is one there." Derflinger adds.

'He is right, dear avatar.' Kesia informs him.

"Alright, you better tell me more before I go there."

"It was a massively large black dragon. In the Pope's words, it took the four and four to bring it down and seal it away in the mountain. It doesn't resemble any normal dragon at all, though. This one doesn't have wings, but don't let that bring you any relief. Its skin is more like a rocky surface that is covered in spikes. It is also shrouded in a black miasma that acts as a barrier against attacks. Its breath attack can wipe out an entire army in one blast. It is a terrifying beast."

Agnes gulps.

"That could threaten all of Helkegenia." Says Henrietta.

Tabitha nods in agreement.

He could instantly feel the tension in the room heighten.

"I haven't gone there yet to investigate. So, that still might not be the case. Let's start making preparations for the worst-case scenario though. It's a shame, I haven't had enough time to build up my army yet."

"If it is the dragon, then it might take all of Halkegenia to face it." Agnes says to everyone.

Henrietta looks to him in worry.

'He better not try to do anything foolish like taking it on by himself.' The Tristan Queen thinks to herself.

"You weren't planning on going there by yourself, were you?" Asks Henrietta.

He shakes his head.

"Tiffania and Eleonore are coming with me."

While smiling nervously, he scratches his head briefly.

"It took a lot of convincing, but I managed to convince Siesta to stay back at the mansion for this one."

'I bet it did.' Agnes thinks to herself as she smirks.

"I want you to take Sylphid as well." Says Tabitha.

He nods to her.

"All right."

"Please be careful out there, Saito." Henrietta adds.

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While riding Sylphid, Saito and his other two passengers fly near the mountain range.

It expanded east and west, farther than the eye could see. All of the mountains shared a grayish tint to them. One of the mountains did have some slow-moving lava flowing down.

He couldn't feel any tremors, but what he could feel, was an uneasiness that he just couldn't shake.

"I don't like this at all. Where is Julio? Didn't you say that he was supposed to be here?" Eleonore says to Saito nervously.

He nods.

"Yes. I was told that he was supposed to be here. I agree with you. I am not liking this either."

He could also tell how nervous Tiffania was as well. She not only grips him tightly from behind, but he could also feel it through their bond.

"We really need to get out of here. Everything around us seems to be upset."

He tries to send comforting feelings to her, but it doesn't seem to help much.

Just then, as they come around a bend, they notice a glow from behind some mountains.

"Is that a glow from the sun?" Asks the blond elf.

As Saito and Eleonore make a closer inspection, their eyes go wide in horror.

"That isn't the sun. That's a city on fire over there!" He shouts as he makes Sylphid dart toward the city.

"That's the city of Aquileia." Adds Eleonore.

As they fly closer and closer, they see what was once a beautiful city at the base of a mountain in ruins. Smoke and flames spewed into the air from all over the city. There wasn't a single block that didn't have something on fire.

There was also something very ominous at the far edge of the city as well. It was hard to make out with all of the smoke and fire. There was something dark shrouding something else that was very enormous.

They pause a moment when they get over the city to take in the full situation.

While taking in the situation and beginning to formulate a plan, Eleonore reaches around Tiffania and yanks on his right arm.

"We've got Problems Saito! Dragons!"

He looks to his right and sees a swarm of red dragons flying toward them.

"Those don't look friendly." Tiffania points out.

Saito takes evasive maneuvers with Sylphid while Eleonore blasts some of them with water spells.

A giant mouth opens up amidst the dark miasma that was around the thing at the edge of the city. Fire gathers in the center of the mouth.

"Look out, partner!" Clanks Derflinger.

While trying to evade the dragons, he looks over and catches a glimpse.

He desperately begins flying upward with everyone hanging on tightly.

The menacing creature takes a giant step forward. The ground shakes with its step. Then it releases a blast of fire from its mouth. The blast is so large that it could take out an entire army.

They manage to escape the flames by the skin of their teeth, but a couple of red dragons get caught within the blast and become incinerated.

In the wake of the blast, Saito looks over at the massive creature. It is so large that it makes the other dragons look like moths.

"Is that the dragon?" He asks aloud.

From a distance, they hear a voice.

"Yes, it is. I should've known that you might have already known about it." Julio says to them as he flies over.

Louise is with him.

It's also the reason why all of the other dragons seem to be acting crazy.' Kesia tells him.

"Luckily, I am able to keep my dragon, Azzurro, sane with my Vindalfr powers." Julio explains.

'Rhyme dragons are special. That is why she is not affected either.' Zephira says to him.

Saito glares at the monstrous dragon in anger, and he sees it glare back at him. It is as if it sensed him glaring at it.

"Saito, we have to get going!" Julio exclaims to him.

After taking another look around at all of the helpless people in the city, he looks back to Julio.

"It's unfortunate, but we can't stay here." Adds the Pope's familiar.

"Bullshit!" Retorts Saito with a shout.

Everyone gets taken aback in surprise.

"I am not letting these people just die here!"

"You're not suggesting that we take that thing on right here, and by ourselves?" Asks Louise.

"No. I just want to help get these people out of here."

"I don't think I could just leave here either without helping at least some people. I couldn't live with myself if I just did." Adds Tiffania with a serious look on her face.

"I agree with them. Let's try to help them." Louise says to her boyfriend.

Julio smirks at his comrade and shrugs.

"Who am I to argue with a king and my young lady. Besides, I think that you are one of the only people that could pull this off. You're in charge."

Louise blushes from the way he referred to her.

Saito gives him a nod.

"Alright. Eleonore, take the reins. This is where I get off."

"What are you going to do?" Tiffania asks.

"I am going to summon my elementals to help with the fires and the dragons. I am also planning on being a distraction to that thing."

"And what are we supposed to do, watch you be the hero?"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Julio. The rest of you are going to help lead these people to safety."

'I really could have used Oriana's help in this scenario, but the Pope would have surely found out about her if she was here and used her powers. Damnit! I hate this!'

He jumps off. He activates his wind avatar abilities as white swirls into his eyes. He takes flight.

'I wish I could show off like that.' Julio muses as he flies off with his dragon.

Saito douses an area with water so that he could land.

"Serena, Zephira, Kesia! Great spirits of wind, water, and earth. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

Servants begin forming all around him of the three elements.

As they form he commands them to do certain tasks. He commands the wind elementals to distract the dragons from attacking anybody during the rescue. He commands the water elementals to go around and douse the fires. Then, he commands the earth elementals to remove rubble and help support structures so that the survivors can escape.

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After fending off a red dragon, Julio gets to a balcony where a woman and a young girl were cornered into by the flames.

He flies close and gets the child on first, and then he reaches for the mother.

She gets onto the dragon with them just before the flames reach her dress.

Part of the building breaks off from the structural damage and begins to fall down toward them.

Louise points her wand at the falling debris and shouts out as she casts her signature spell.

"Explosion!"

The debris explodes before it even reaches them.

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"Serena, Zephira, and Kesia, send me your great guardians so that I may defeat the enemy before us."

He could feel the drain of power as he summons all three of his elemental dragons. But, the drain doesn't feel as bad as the first time he did it when he fought Flint in Germania.

Water spurts out of the ground as the water dragon forms.

The winds swirl around and collect into a single spot as the wind dragon forms.

Earth collects and forms into the last dragon.

"Now it's time for that destraction."

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Eleonore and Tiffania guide some people to a path that a couple of the earth elementals had created to get out of the city.

A group of four dragons fly toward them.

Two of the four get distracted by a couple of the wind elementals, but the other two continue their course toward the civilians.

Tiffania points her wand at one of the dragons and begins casting her spell to make the dragon forget what it was doing and become confused.

chants the spell to make the guard forget.

"Nauthid isa eihwaz hagalaz ur beorc nyd is algiz berkana man lagu."

As she finishes the spell, the dragon looks confused and looks back and forth for a moment.

Tiffania takes this moment to cast another spell.

"Gust of wind!"

She looks at her counterpart and watches her use several wind blades against the other dragon.

Just as they finish that they look around and find another couple trying to fend off a dragon. They fly toward them to come to their aid. The man, whom seems to be in his early 20's, is using a shield to block the dragon from biting them. The girl seems to be a novice mage and is barely managing to keep calm.

"Flare!" The girl shouts as a flame shoots from her wand.

The fire seems to only annoy the dragon.

Eleonore and Tiffania jump off of Sylphid and run over to the couple. Both of them start casting spells.

"Earth, robust mother, answer my wishes and become a moving wall." Chants Tiffania.

A wall forms and gets placed between the dragon and the couple.

"May the waters around me be used as weapons to shoot down my enemies. Water cannon!"

She uses all of her blasts to knock the dragon back against the side of a building.

Sylphid jumps down from the top of that building and pins the dragon to the ground.

Tiffania walks toward them.

"Bad Dragon." She says to the red dragon.

The dragon begins trying to struggle out from under Sylphid.

Tiffania's hands glow green as she chants another spell. As she finishes, she shouts out to Slyphid.

"Sylphid, move!"

The rhyme dragon flies up just in time to avoid Tiffania's spell.

Grass and vines grow thick and wrap around the red dragon, tying it to the ground.

Eleonore hears screams coming from a caved-in house.

She begins using her magic to remove the rubble, but she gets frustrated in the pace the she is able to move things.

Tiffania runs over and kneels on the ground.

'I might not have Weylyn here with me, but I have another way of getting help.' The elf thinks to herself.

"Spirits, please lend me your strength and send me a strong ally to aid my moment of need."

Miniature orbs of light appear and glow in unison. Then, they make a bright flash. When the flash is gone, there is a brown bear standing there before her.

"Please, help us remove the rubble."

The bear roars and moves over to the rubble and begins dismantling the pile along with Eleonore.

Eleonore nearly loses her cool after seeing Tiffania summon that bear and having it come over to help.

The sky roars and clouds form quickly above the lot of them.

"Saito." Tiffania and Eleonore both say.

Then, a heavy rain starts to pour down on them.

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After some time.

Saito is sweating from keeping the black dragon distracted and not getting killed in the process.

The massive dragon lets out another blast of fire, which lights up the whole sky. Saito manages to evade while riding on the wind dragon, but the earth dragon gets incinerated as it gets caught in the blast zone.

He keeps the black dragon distracted while everyone else is helping the people leave. He heaves fireballs and other smaller magical attacks at the massive dragon.

While doing this, he notices that the attacks aren't having the effect that he thought they would be having.

"Damnit. It seems like that thing's miasma is absorbing a lot of the blow from my spells."

"That miasma is like a protective barrier to it. It took the combined strength of the four and four to take that thing out." Derflingers clanks to him.

He has the water dragon blast at it, but it doesn't even seem to care as it keeps its focus on him.

Julio flies over on his dragon.

"You've distracted that thing long enough, Saito. People are able to flee just as you wanted."

"Ok. Let's get the others and get the hell out of here."

He begins communicating to Tiffania through their link.

After he does this, he looks over at his comrade.

"It looks like we are going to have to make a lot of preparations now."

Julio nods in agreement.

"Let's go meet up with the Pope now."

As they fly away, Saito looks back at the ruined city sadly, and with worry.

'I hope that the rest of Halkegenia doesn't face this fate.'

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 10

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	69. Chapter 69: Shattered

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Sorry for another long wait, but I hope you enjoy the changes I made from the scenes in the anime.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Sixty-Nine

Shattered

At the holy capital of Romalia. Morning

An army of about 600 Templar Knights amass just outside of the palace divided into squads of 14. The priestesses gather along the balcony facing the gathering forces, except for Louise.

Louise, Julio, and the Pope are inside of the palace in a room adjoined with the balcony.

Saito, Tiffania, Sylphid, and Eleonore are also in this room.

"How can you be so sure that this plan is going to work?" Saito asks the Pope in doubt.

"It was prophesized by ancient scholars."

"So, do you believe that this is the crisis that you have been worried about?" Asks Tiffania.

"Most likely, yes. The ancient texts spoke of a calamity that would reduce the world to ashes. I was amongst the researchers into this. It was hypothesized that a colossal dragon was the cause, but it was never certain. That is, until now. Now that we know this to be true. . ."

'I had heard of this research, but I had never focused on it myself.' Notes Eleonore.

'How can he be so positive about this? Who were the prophets that came up with that? What if the prophecy was referring to something else?' Saito begins to question in his head.

'Those are all very valid questions my avatar.' Remarks Serena.

'Even for us earthbound spirits, we do not possess the ability to see into the future.' Zephira says to him.

'Could a normal person really be able to predict such events accurately?' Also remarks Kesia.

". . . We have to stop it at all costs. It is time for the void users to unite. So that we can prevent the loss of even more life." Continues the Pope.

"But we don't even have the complete four and four that defeated it before. Joseph and his familiar are gone." Saito begins to say.

'A fib, but I can't bring myself to tell him the truth.'

Everyone else from his group realizes that as well.

"I am no longer the Gandalfr. I only have my Lifdrasir powers. Are we even as powerful as they were?" He finishes.

The Pope raises his hands in the air to calm Saito's worries.

"I am still confident that we can do this with what we have. I already have a plan."

"Alright. I am listening."

"We will subdue and strike down the ancient dragon in the valley of Oltia."

The Pope directs his attention to Louise.

"Miss Valliere."

She kneels before him and bows her head.

Eleonore watches her sister do this with mixed feelings.

'I am not sure how to feel about seeing this. Perhaps that is blasphemous to think, but being with Saito has really changed my views on many things.' The blond Valliere thinks to herself.

While looking down at Louise, the Pope continues.

"Your explosion spell will be the key part of our strategy. So, we will ultimately be relying on you."

"But. the dragon has that wall of miasma shrouding it that is repelling magic spells." Interjects Saito.

"You are correct, Lord Saito. That barrier must be neutralized."

Louise stands up.

"Please, let me take care of that. I could use my dispel . . "

The Pope raises a hand to stop her.

"No. Allow me to handle that part. You need to reserve your energy as much as possible for your explosion spell."

Louise bows her head.

"Miss Westwood." He says as he gets Tiffania attention.

The half-elf looks to him.

"Could you use your memory loss spell on the dragons that have been enslaved by that monster?"

She nods.

"And, Lord Saito."

Saito crosses his arms as he looks at the confident Pope.

"I will need your power as Lifdrasir. I will need it to boost my spell to remove the miasma."

Julio looks to the ground at the mention of using Saito's Lifdrasir power.

Saito rubs his chin while he thinks about the plan.

'I still wonder if we are really powerful enough to take this thing on. He seems really confident though. Louise's power has gotten stronger as well. I kind of regret telling him about the fact that I had become the Lifdrasir. I wonder exactly how much he knows about it.'

'What are you going to do, dear. He wants you to use your Familiar powers. I am really torn about you using them. I have been worried sick about you using it ever since I found out that it drains your life energy.' Speaks Tiffania through their link.

He lets out a sigh as he thinks.

'My life force couldn't completely drain after another use, right?'

'I don't know.' She unhappily replies.

'If there is a chance to keep this world safe, then maybe I should.'

"Alright. Let's do it."

The Pope smiles at him.

"Then let us prepare."

He grabs his staff and walks out, onto the balcony with Julio and Louise.

The entire army goes quiet as they see him walk onto the balcony.

He stands there confidently.

"As you all know, the sudden appearance of the dragon has left Aquileia in Ruins. . . . " He says as he begins to speak to the knights.

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Miles away, At the valley of Oltia. Evening.

Many of the templar knights were starting to hide behind bushes and hiding in tall grass along the top of the cliffside of the valley.

Saito was a short distance away mentally preparing for what was about to happen.

Sylphid was in her dragon form.

Tiffania had momentarily stepped away, leaving Eleonore and Louise with him.

'This valley was a good choice. Being that the dragon doesn't fly, then it's only choice was to walk through this valley.'

Right in the middle of his thoughts, Louise abruptly step in front of him. It startles him and makes him and makes him jerk a little.

He was about to say something to her, but then he gets a good look at her facial expression and becomes worried.

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.

"What's wrong, Louise?"

"I need to tell you something."

He scratches his head.

"Okay."

"I shouldn't be saying this. I don't like going against the Pope, but this involves your life. Julio couldn't directly tell you himself, but he wanted me to tell you. He was even getting a headache while telling me."

"If this is about the fact that the Lifdrasir power drains my life force every time I use it, then I already know."

Louise's worried face becomes dumbfounded.

"I have an ancient sword, and I am bonded to three ancient spirits. I was bound to find out somehow, but it is touching to know that you and Julio wanted to make sure I knew."

'This shows me that even he still has moments where the bond is affecting him.'

Louise's dumbfounded look now turns into an annoyed and angry face.

"What now?" Asks Saito.

"If you knew this, then why are you going along with it?"

Eleonore looks even a little surprised at her sister's reaction.

He closes his eyes momentarily and lets out a sigh.

"Don't you want to live? You are a king. You have a country. You have Tabitha, I mean Charlotte, and Henrietta. And, you also have my sister at your side."

Eleonore looks away and at the ground. She is worried about him as well.

'I can't argue that I am worried about him. I am torn about this. I love Saito, and I don't want him risking his life. He's seems confident that another use won't kill him.'

Her thoughts get interrupted as he speaks up.

"I know, but this isn't just about me. All of Halkegenia is at stake here. Some of my life force is a small price to pay if it means saving everyone."

Tears start to swell up in her eyes. She was about to protest again, but she gets pulled back and embraced by her sister. The whole action startles her. She could feel a lot from her sister's embrace. It was tender, which she wasn't used to. But she could also feel Eleonore's tension through it as well.

"Please stop, sister. We know. This is already difficult enough for us. Please don't say anymore. When this is all over, we are all going to be able to go home, laugh, and eat cake together. That's what Siesta said."

A rustle could be heard from some bushes. Everyone looks over to see Tiffania standing there. She has tears streaming down her face. Her lover could feel how overcome with guilt she is feeling right now because of their bond.

"Tiffa!" He says in a raised tone.

She turns away and covers her face. He gets up and embraces her from behind.

"It's going to be okay, Tiffa."

With her face still covered by her hands, she shakes it back and forth.

"No, it's not. This is all my fault. None of us would be worrying like this if it wasn't for me. I am the reason why you have that awful power.

As if the tension wasn't thick enough, the atmosphere gets disturbed by the dragon's roar in the background.

Julio flies down with his dragon. He could tell something was going on, but he dared not ask.

He looks at Saito sternly.

"Are you ready?"

Saito nods back in return.

He extends his arm out to Saito and helps him onto his dragon with him. After helping him up, Julio looks over his shoulder at the king.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks in a serious tone.

"I have to. It's for the safety of everyone."

Julio looks around to everyone else.

"Good luck, everyone."

Louise rushes up to his dragon and looks up at him.

"Please be careful out there."

Julio smiles back at Louise and replies.

"As well as you, my love."

As Louise steps back, he takes off with Saito and heads for the Pope.

"Let's go." Eleonore says softly to her sister and Tiffania.

After wiping their eyes and trying to put on a fake smile, they climb onto Sylphid.

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As they try to keep hidden, the templar knights wait for the dragon to get a little closer to their location.

The dragon stomps forward through the valley. A stream passes under it as it goes along. Some rocks fall from the edges of the valley as it stomps along. A couple dozen red dragons fly along with it.

Other than the sound of the dragons passing through the valley, everything becomes deathly quiet in wait.

When the dragon gets close enough, the Templar knights get out from their locations. They pull out their swords and start blasting at the edges of the valley above the dragon. Golden rays shoot out from their holy swords. Rocks and dirt crash down at the enormous dragon.

For a brief moment, the dragon can't be seen because of the dust cloud. After a moment, the dust cloud clears up enough to see the dragon. It roars from its position in anger.

The red dragons break off and start attacking the knights. They do their best to try to fend off the dragons.

Eleonore flies in with Sylphid as Tiffania begins casting her memory loss spell on the red dragons.

The dragons she targets shake their head and fly off in the confusion.

Julio begins flying towards the massive black dragon with the Pope and Saito as his passengers. He flies inside of the valley and directly toward their enemy.

The Pope raises his staff and begins chanting a spell. Saito runes begin to glow as he watches the Pope.

Derflinger raises out of his scabbard and clanks as he talks to Saito.

"He's casting a purification spell."

"That's right, Derflinger. It's normally good for healing purposes, but it's far more deadly against evil creatures." Adds Julio.

"This is my void spell." Says Vittorrio.

The spell activates and begins to deteriorate the wall of miasma surrounding the dragon. It shakes its head vigorously, and then it turns toward the source of the spell. It glares at the Pope with its glowing yellow eyes, and then it roars at him.

"Saito." Vittorio says to get his attention.

Saito pauses a moment in hesitation, but then he places his hands on Vittorio's back. The runes on his chest begin to glow and power flows into the Pope. The spell's effect begins to increase.

Bit by bit, the wall begins to break and crumble away.

"They're doing it!" Tiffania says to Louise and Eleonore.

'But every moment he is using that power, is another moment he comes closer to death.' The eldest Valliere thinks.

The dragon roars again at the group in front of him.

Saito braces his position as he feels a little week from the huge drain in strength that he is feeling. He also grits his teeth.

All of a sudden, the dragon narrows its eyes and stares at Julio and his dragon.

'I don't like the looks of this.' Julio thinks to himself.

Julio's power has been keeping the black dragon's control from affecting his own dragon, Azzurro.

He flies a little closer to the massive dragon.

The dragon grits its teeth and Julio begins to hear a creaking sound. It almost sounds as if something is snapping and breaking apart inside of the forehead of the dragon. A slit begins to form in its forehead and a third, glowing yellow eye.

Vittorio keeps his focus on his spell.

Julio gets a worried look on his face as he looks at the third eye.

"What is going on?" Julio says aloud.

Just as he says that, the eyes of his dragon go blank, and it starts to fly toward the dragon.

Julio looks frantically at his dragon.

"What's going on! Azzurro! Stop!"

His control over Azzurro has been lost and it flies even closer to the black dragon.

Julio vigorously fights to try to regain control.

"It looks like something is going wrong." Louise says to her sister.

Just as she says that, the dragon opens its mouth and fire begins to gather.

"Saito!" Derflinger clanks.

Saito shakes his head to stave off some dizziness.

"Right." He says back to his sword.

He draws Derflinger out and he gets in front of Julio while he stands.

The black dragon blasts its breath weapon at them. It gets absorbed by Derflinger. The blast begins to push him back, so he uses one of his arms to brace against the backside of Derflinger. As he absorbs more and more of the blast, Derflinger starts glowing brighter and brighter.

"I'm sorry, Saito." Clanks the ancient sword.

"What do you mean, Derf? What's going on.

"This . . . . is too much for me."

"No! It can't be."

Cracks start forming all over him.

"In the beginning, I thought that you were kind of dopey. But I got to watch you become the king that you are. It was great being your partner. Good bye."

Just as Saito was about to say something more to Derflinger, the last of the dragon's fire gets absorbed. Derflinger becomes blindingly bright and then he shatters apart. The pieces, including the piece that made up Derflinger's jaw, fly past Saito.

The force also sends him back and he ends up falling off of the dragon.

"Saito!" Tiffania shouts.

"Hang on, everyone." Eleonore says to them as she dives in with Sylphid.

She dives under just at the right moment, and Tiffania manages to catch him along with Louise.

"Derf." He manages to just say just before passing out in Tiffania's arms.

Louise looks worriedly at Saito.

"Sister, focus on your spell." Eleonore says to her youngest sister.

Louise looks back at the dragon and begins chanting the full version of her explosion spell.

The templar knights also start firing at the dragon.

It ignores the other attacks as it focuses on Julio and the Pope.

Julio fights for control over his dragon to no avail as it keeps flying to the black dragon.

"Come on! Fight it!" Julio shouts at Azzurro.

The huge dragon looks hungrily at the Pope and it opens its mouth.

Azzurro gets within the black dragon's reach.

Vittorio grabs him by the collar.

"What are you . . ."

That is all that Julio manages to get out before being thrown off of Azzurro.

'Live, my pride and joy.' The pope communicates to him.

As Julio falls he watches with horrified eyes as Azzurro and Vittorio get eaten by the dragon. He hears the squishing and ripping as the dragon chews on them.

"Noooooooooooo!"

Eleonore swoops in again and Sylphid manages to catch him with her front claws.

When the dragon finishes chewing and swallows down its meal, its eyes change from yellow to red.

Louise loses her cool after seeing what just happened and stops casting her spell.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright sister. Let's get out of here and regroup. We need to get to safety. This mission was a failure." Eleonore says to her as they fly off.

The massive dragon, now more invigorated from the powerup it gained from eating Vittorio, breaks from the rubble that had trapped it. It also raises its head up and roars again.

The echoes of its roars eerily fill the surrounding area.

The knight, unsure of what to do after the death of the Pope, also decide to retreat.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple story is at chapter 10

My Monster Musume: Drago's Quest story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	70. Chapter 70: A New Plan

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy

A New Plan

Saito abruptly wakes up. He was having a nightmare, reliving the moments where Derflinger shattered and he got flung off of Julio's dragon. He finds that his head is immersed between a pair of warm pillows.

Tiffania was wearing her green and white outfit, and she was cradling Saito against her.

He could tell that it was her without even having to look up because of the warm feeling that she was sending him through their bond. He wraps his arms around her tightly.

Siesta was also sitting on the edge of the bed and was now touching his back with one of her hands to comfort him.

"We're here for you, Saito." Siesta tries to say comfortingly to him.

He pulls away from Tiffania's breasts in a panic. His head shifting from one girl to the other.

"Where are we?"

"We are at the palace in Galia." Tiffania says to him.

He grabs his head as memories start flooding back to him of the battle.

"How long have I been out? What about the Pope? What about the dragon? Did we defeat it?"

Siesta looks away as she is at a loss of words.

Tiffania could feel the panic him again, but also chokes at trying to answer all of his hard questions.

Trying to distract him a little from the topic, Siesta speaks up.

"Why don't I get you something to eat. I am sure that you are very hungry."

He grabs Tiffania's shoulders.

"Tiffa, please tell me what happened. I need to know what happened." His says, still in a panicked tone.

She almost begins crying because it is so hard to tell him.

"Saito, please calm down."

The door to the room opens up. They look over and see that Aimee was holding the door open and Oriana walks in.

Not wanting to butt in, Aimee closes the door after Oriana walks in, leaving her and Guinevere outside of the doorway.

Oriana could see the panicked and confused looks on Siesta's and Tiffania's faces. So, she decides to take the reins.

"Take a breath and calm down, like Tiffania said."

"But . . . "

"I will tell you what you want to know as soon as you can do that. Being the way that you are now isn't going to help anybody."

He gets a good look at Tiffania after hearing Oriana say that, and he see that she was having a hard time as well.

He takes in a deep breath and then lets it out.

"I'm sorry, Everyone."

She gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I am glad you are awake, dear."

Siesta and Oriana give a nod in agreement. Siesta also gives him a hug.

Oriana grabs a chair in the room and sits across from Saito.

"Tell me everything, Oriana. Don't beat around the bush. I want . . . no . . . I need to know."

She crosses her legs as she sits upright.

"Are you sure that you're ready."

He nods.

She begins telling him everything.

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In another room of the Palace.

Henrietta, Tabitha, Agnes, and Louise stand around a table.

Sylphid was in there as well in her usual outfit.

Henrietta and Tabitha were in their royal attire.

"It is surprising that Julio is not here, giving us this report himself." Henrietta says.

Louise looks down and her expression saddens a little.

"He is not well." She says to the two Queens.

Tabitha and Henrietta both look at each other.

"Very well. Let us continue."

Henrietta says this, but she really wanted to pry further into the young Valliere, but it wasn't her place to do so.

"You said that it has stopped moving?"

Louise gives a nod.

"It abruptly stopped just after it got out of the valley. Reports say that it just curled up and turned into a rock." The pink-haired girl adds along with her nod.

Tabitha. Henrietta, and Agnes look at each other after hearing that news. Then they look back at Louise.

"Is it possible that it was defeated."

The young Valliere just shakes her head back and forth.

"A heartbeat can still be heard from it."

"So, it just curled up and is taking a nap?" Agnes asks aloud.

"That means it might rise again." Coldly adds Tabitha.

"Indead." Comes old Osmond's voice.

Everyone looks over and see the headmaster of Tristan Academy standing in the doorway. A Galian guard was holding the door open for him. He is wearing his usual black robes. The black of his robes accentuates his long white beard that stretches down to his stomach.

"It is good to see you here, headmaster. That you for coming at my request." Henrietta says to him.

She looks at Louise.

"I had requested his presence here because he had done some research on the dragon."

"I am glad that you asked. There are some things that I am worried about." Osmond says back to the Queen.

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A couple hours later.

Both of his Queens had come to see him after the meeting they had with Osmond. They could tell that he was still having a little bit of a hard time taking everything in. So, they had decided to give him a little more space.

The meal that was brought for him by Siesta was hardly eaten.

Anger and anxiety over the failed attack was starting to settle in. He was pacing back and forth in the room. Other emotions flooded his mind like sadness over the loss of Derflinger.

'You need to calm down, my avatar.' Serena says to him.

'Your emotions are understandable, but being like this is not going to get you anywhere.' Kesia communicates to him.

"Right now, the only thing I want to do is go there and destroy that thing."

'Eliminating that abomination is not out of the question, but not with a rash and unquiet mind.' Says Zephira.

"It's kind of hard to quiet mind when I have 3 spirits and 3 people that I am bonded to."

'That is a good point, but I think that you know what I meant.' Adds the wind spirit.

He lets out a very heavy sigh as he rests his right forearm against a wall and then he rests his forehead against it.

"I no longer have Derflinger, and we lost the Pope too. We no longer have the four and four."

'So.' Simply says Kesia.

'Huh?' He thinks in bewilderment.

'Just because the four and four are incomplete, does not mean that you cannot defeat that dragon.' Zephira says to him.

'There is also another matter. Ever since that battle, something seems different about you. Nothing seems exactly wrong with you, other than a drain of your life force, but there is something different about you. It's as if something entered you, but isn't invading you.' Informs Serena.

"That is odd. I guess that as long as if it is not harming me, then we can worry about it later."

He sits down on the edge of the bed.

"All of you are right. I need to snap out of my funk. I've got no time to waste. Everyone's lives are at stake."

'It is good to have you back.' Says Serena.

"I think that I am going need everyone's help."

He starts trying to formulate a new plan of attack.

'If you are planning on using Oriana's help now, then I have something that will be of use.'

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Shortly after that.

Guinevere quickly opens the door to Saito's room.

"Lord Saito, there is . . . . "

She stops mid sentences as she stares at him. She literally caught him with his pants down. He was changing from his pajamas into his travel attire. He was currently pulling up his pants. All he had on was his boxers and no shirt.

He looks up in surprise and they both end up furiously blushing.

She turns away and clears her throat. He finishes pulling up his pants.

"Sir. There is arguing going on down the hall between Julio and Sylphid."

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A little bit further down the hall.

Sylphid and Julio were 5 feet from each other. They both had angry looks on their faces.

Julio was profusely sweating. His right hand was also clutching his head. He also seemed a little delirious. His breathing was chaotic as well.

"Please, I need you to come with me. You are the only one!"

"I am not going with you! You are not riding me back to Romalia alone. Why are you acting like this? You aren't yourself." She shouts back to him.

"I have to. I must take revenge. You weren't affected by that beast. You will go with me even if I have to go to drastic measures."

He sticks out his right hand towards Sylphid's humanoid form.

"I don't know if this will work on you, but I am willing to try."

His eyes squint as if he is in pain and he grabs his head with his left hand.

Sylphid clutches her hands in front of her chest and takes several steps back in fear.

Running could be heard from behind Julio. As he turns around to see the commotion, he gets slammed across the face by a punch from Saito.

"How dare you!" Saito furiously shouts at Julio.

The hit knocks the hand that was clutching his face away and he gets thrown off balance.

Saito grabs him by the front of his white coat and slams him against the wall that was right next to them. With gritted teeth, Saito punches him across the face again. Some blood spurts out of Julio's mouth from the hit. As he slides down the wall, the protective King gets down on one knee next to him while holding a clenched fist up in the air.

"What the hell is wrong with you? How dare you threaten Sylphid like that!"

Julio groggily opens his eyes. Sweat is still dripping off of him.

"I need to avenge my master. It's the only thing that I can think of right now. She is the only one that can fly me to that dragon without being controlled by it."

Hearing his words sends warning flags up in Saito's mind.

'He said master and not the Pope. This must be caused by the bond as a last-ditch effort to avenge the master's death.

Sylphid gets behind Amy and Guinevere.

Other footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Louise comes from one side, while Tabitha, Henrietta, and Agnes come up the other side.

They all stop and watch Saito and Julio.

Saito grabs him by the front of his white coat and slams him against the wall again.

"Come to your senses, Julio! This isn't you. This is the bond talking."

Julio shakes his head back and forth vigorously.

"No. No. No. I have to go and avenge him."

For a brief moment, Saito remembers what he was going through earlier.

He grabs Julio's face and forces him to look at him.

"Listen to me!"

Even though it still seems like his mind is going a mile a minute, he focuses on Saito.

"Think like your rational self. You are being rash. You want to avenge him. I know, but you can't go out there rashly. You will get killed out there. We will take that dragon on again, but not without a plan. You couldn't keep your dragon under control. So, what makes you think that you could forcefully impose on Sylphid and keep her under your control. Now you calm down and get yourself under control. Fight against the bond or I will beat you into a pulp and personally throw you into a dungeon myself! Fight it!"

As Saito kneels there, he could tell that Julio's breathing was starting to normalize. The runes stop glowing and completely disappear. Julio slumps into the wall.

Saito stands up and walks over to Sylphid while Louise rushes over to Julio.

"Are you all right?" Saito calmly asks Sylphid.

Tears begin to well up in her eyes and she latches her arms around his neck. She cries into his shoulder.

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Hours later, in the war room.

Everyone was gathered.

"All right, everyone. It's time to discuss a new a plan of attack." Saito says.

Everyone nods.

"Are we going to attack it where it is currently at?" Asks Oriana.

Saito looks over to her and shakes his head.

"It might be asleep right now, but I don't think that it is honestly going to stay that way long enough for us to launch a full-scale assault on it."

"How do we know where it will even go." Louise asks curiously.

"It will go wherever we go. We are the things bait."

Louise opens her eyes wide in shock.

"After the discussion with Osmond, and my own observations, we determined that thing is coming after the void users. We think that it uses us as an energy source. It gained strength after eating the Pope. It also only seemed to focus on the void users and no one else. There is no way that we couldn't keep you uninvolved in this, Louise. I'm sorry."

She shakes her head.

"You don't need to apologize, Saito. I will do everything that I can to help destroy that thing, along with everyone else." The young Valliere replies back.

'Yeah, but you wouldn't be the one answering to you mother if you get hurt.' He muses to himself.

"I want to put as much distance between us and that thing as possible. More distance = more time. We just have to make sure it doesn't get close to any more cities."

"Then, may I suggest luring towards the academy?" Suggests Osmond.

"I can't involve the academy."

"There is a wide-open area around the academy. It's a far location and a great area to attack it." Adds Osmond.

"He is right. That would be a good area to assault it. Agnes says in confirmation as she points to the map.

"You will need to evacuate all of the students." Henrietta says to him.

"That will not be a problem."

"Then I need you to leave right away for that."

Osmond nods and exits.

"We will have to use our armies to draw and guide it away from the paths of cities. We will have to take extra caution. This thing could easily wipe out our armies. We only want to cause it to change its course. The goal is to take it on near the academy, not anywhere else. I will have to rely on you three to take care of that end of things."

"I will rally our Galian troops together." Says Tabitha.

"As will I, with our Tristan army." Adds Henrietta

"What about you, Julio. Can I trust you with this?"

"Yes, lord Saito. I am fine now. I am sorry for my outburst earlier. Forgive me. But, yes, you can trust me with this. Even with things in turmoil right now, I am sure I can gather our troops together for the sake of Helkegenia."

"Thank you, Julio. You have to head off right away as well. It is right in your territory and you won't have much time to react when it wakes up."

Julio nods.

"I wish you well, Julio."

"To you as well." Julio says back and shakes his hand before leaving.

"We will have to get a message to Duke Valliere so that we can utilize his armies as well."

"I will take care of that for you." Eleonore says.

"No."

Eleonore gives him a puzzled look.

"I have a separate task for you."

She adjusts her glasses.

"What is that?"

"I know that you aren't a void user, but you are a great teacher. I need you to observe us casting the void spells and teach Louise and Tiffania to use them. They are void users as well, so there shouldn't be a problem for them to be able to cast each other's spells as well."

"That is a tall task, but I shall gladly take on the challenge."

Louise gulps in worry of her sister teaching her.

"Don't worry, Louise. You can do this. Why don't you see to Julio before he takes off."

She nods and runs off.

"Oriana."

She steps forward.

"Yes, milord."

"You will take a message to Albion for me."

"But, why me?"

"You are also going to pick something up."

"Pick something up?"

He nods.

"You will be going to see the wind spirit. She has an item that will be good for you to use with your powers."

She looks a little surprised, but nods.

'Why didn't you tell me about this before?' He asks Zephira.

'You didn't want to involve her before, so I didn't bother mentioning it.' She replies.

He mentally face palms.

"Will you be joining me, milord."

"You will have to do this on your own, she will be awaiting you though."

"What will you be doing?" Tabitha asks.

"I will be going to Germania. I am going to try to enlist their help, plus there is someone that I am going to visit."

"Who is that?" Siesta asks.

"I am making a visit to the fire spirit, Vasuman."

Everyone opens their eyes wide and looks at him in shock.

"We might not have the four and four, but there are four spirits. I am hoping that he will be willing to help me."

"That is a big gamble." Says Oriana.

"And you did kill his avatar. I am sure that he is going to remember that."

"I know. I am a little worried about that as well."

Siesta goes up to him with puffed cheeks and she puts her hands are on her hips.

"What?" He asks.

"You are taking me with you."

"I don't suppose I can tell you no?"

She crosses her arms.

'I guess not.'

"Okay."

"Hmph."

Everyone disperses and prepares for their own tasks and journeys.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

 ****New Story****

 **My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 1**

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	71. Chapter 71: Kept Information

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy-One

Kept information

In the days following Saito's new plan, everyone was on their way to their next locations and tasks.

Julio traveled back to Romalia and gathered the distraught forces together. The speech he gave at the holy capital would have made the late Pope proud. He did this just in time as the menace began to stir from its slumber. When it reawakened, it had wings. It changed its form after gaining the power up from eating the Pope.

As predicted, the dragon began flying in the direction of the other void users. The Romalian army did their best to divert the dragon away from their cities, but not without sustaining more losses of their army.

While the others flew off, Sylphid and Tabitha stayed in Galia. Tabitha rallied together her own armies. Tabitha decided to use hit and run guerilla warfare tactics against the dragon while it flies through her country. This is helping to keep her losses down while still drawing it away from the heavily populated areas as it makes its way toward Tristan.

Henrietta had returned to Tristan and began her own corralling. After giving her own speech, she had sent part of Tristan army into Galia to help aid Tabitha's forces while she waits for backup from Duke Valliere in Albion and hopefully Germania.

Saito's army gathers near the Tristan Academy.

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One of the training fields at the academy.

Eleonore sits at a table and lets out a hefty sigh. She has a slightly bored look on her face. Then she takes a sip of some tea as she looks over Tiffania and her sister, Louise.

"I think that I might have overdid it." She says aloud.

Before her lie the unconscious bodies of the two said women. They had both passed out from exhaustion.

"I don't think that I was that hard on them. Besides, it's only early afternoon." She mutters to herself.

Just as she says that, she hears footsteps come up behind her. She turns her head just enough to see who it was.

Colbert and Kirche are standing there.

"Are they alright?" Colbert asks.

She lets out another sigh.

"Yes. They are alright. They just passed out from using up their power."

Colbert and Kirche sweat drop.

"I thought about waking them up to do more by dumping water on them, but they still wouldn't be able to even if I did do that. I will just have to wait it out."

There was a slightly depressed tone in her voice as she said that.

"What are you doing here though? Shouldn't all of you have evacuated under Osmond's orders?"

Colbert shakes his head.

"Many of us have decided not to leave. This is our fight too. There are many things that I am against, but there are times to act and there are times not to act. This is for the sake of all of Halkegenia and we are a part of it."

Eleonore stands up and faces them.

"You wish this as well, Miss Zerbst,"

She gives the eldest Valliere daughter a nod.

"Our families might have a long history, but I wish to put that aside and fight alongside you."

Many students, including the Ondine knights and Montmorency come walking up to the lot of them.

"All of you as well?"

She gets confirmation from every single last student that is there.

"We have the Ostland as well."

She shifts her glasses.

"Alright, but you will follow my every word. I will be damned if any students get hurt on my watch."

He gives her a reassuring nod.

"I couldn't agree with you more." He says to the fellow teacher.

"You know the students the best. I want you to decide who be your crew for the Ostland. After that, you will decide who are your most skilled students and they may join the ranks of Saito's army. The rest will stay here in the academy and protect it."

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After seeking the aid from the Germanian government (and gaining it), Saito had continued his journey to an oddly shaped lake. It is about a mile in diameter.

"It is hard to believe that Vasuman would be here."

"Don't let this fool you, Siesta. This is a volcano."

She looks around in surprise, trying to find some kind of verification that she is standing right next to a volcano.

"There is no lava or high peaks."

"This entire lake resides in the mouth of this dormant volcano. The water must have accumulated here over time."

"There is so much life in the area as well." Adds the maid.

"You might not have even realized it, but we have traveled up this plateau for quite some time."

Just as he says that, the center of the lake begins bubbling.

A small tremor is felt beneath them.

Steam also rises out from the water where the bubbling was at. After another moment, the bubbling and steaming increases more and more.

A red and black humanoid figure rises up from the water. The shape is male. The black spots on the molten figure steam off and the figure becomes brighter. The eyes open up to reveal bright white eyes.

It looks over at Saito and Siesta.

"Saito." It mutters heatedly.

It slowly floats towards the King and the maid.

Siesta takes a big gulp.

"He is a lot more menacing than Serena."

'I could be, if I wanted to.' The water spirit tells Saito.

As it gets closer to Saito, it begins to speak.

"I know that you already know my name, avatar, but allow me to formally introduce myself. I am the fire spirit, Vasuman."

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The highlands of Albion.

Oriana flies up to a rock facing on her manta ray.

The winds were blowing briskly all around her, causing her cloak to flap around.

"Zephira, it is I, Oriana!" She shouts into the wind.

Another blast of wind knocks her hood back.

Visible winds begin swirling around and take Zephira's female shape in front of Oriana. She is within a foot of the blond familiar.

The wind, except for the wind around Zephira, all but die down.

Oriana bows her head slightly to give respect to the spirit.

"It is good to finally meet you in person."

"The feeling is mutually shared." Zephira replies in her breathy and echoed voice.

"My master said that you had something for me."

"I do, but first we talk."

One of Oriana's eyebrows raises up in curiosity.

"What is it that you wish to talk about, Zephira?"

Zephira starts floating around Oriana in sporadic movements.

"It was not too long ago that you were my avatar's enemy."

"Yes, I was." Admits Oriana.

"You had even tried to attack and kill, Saito."

"Yes, but that was under the order of a different master."

"This is true, but you did that never the less."

Oriana simply nods.

"Since then, my avatar has accepted you and even let you become his familiar."

"He has. He is a very kind and forgiving person."

"I cannot argue that with you, but I am not as easy to convince."

'I had a bad feeling that this was not going to be so easy.' Oriana thinks to herself.

"It was you that used the artifact that the water spirit had been guarding."

"Yes, it was me."

"Now, I am supposed to trust you with an artifact that I have been keeping safe. Who is to say that you won't become power hungry and take off with it, using it for your own ambitions."

Oriana gets down on one knee and bows her head to Zephira.

"I was once the person that you have described, but I am not that person any more. I am a changed person in mind, body, and soul. I may be free from the binds of the familiar runes, but I am more devoted to my current master than any master before. Please give me this opportunity to show you that my master's, your avatar's, faith was not given blindly. Then, I will return it to you as soon as this ordeal is over with."

The wind spirit smiles down at the familiar that was clad in white.

The sincere and unwavering tone in Oriana's voice was not overlooked by Zephira. It was what she needed to hear from Oriana.

"Your words ring true, Oriana. Rise and behold the gift that I will bestow upon you."

As she says this, she floats back a few feet and raises her arms toward the sky. The winds briskly pick up again. They blow harder than they were before.

Using her cloak, Oriana shields part of her face.

A staff slowly comes down from the sky. It gets between the two of them and floats vertically. The light shines off of its silver body with gold streaks. At the top of it, rests a yellow gem that is the size of a fist encased in a silver and gold cage. A handful of runes are etched in black down the handle.

Oriana looks at it in awe.

"What is this?" She asks the spirit.

"This is Kothar's lightning staff."

"Who was kothar?"

"Kothar was a blacksmith from days long ago. He was not only a blacksmith, but he was also a powerful mage. This is a very powerful relic that he created, and few have ever been graced with its use. I am sure that you could make great use of its abilities with your power of Miodaitnir."

"I am sure that this will come to great use against the dragon."

"I had the same thoughts as you. You may now grasp it, Oriana."

Oriana reaches out to grasp the staff. The runes on her forehead begin to glow. As soon as her hands grab the center of it, her head gets flung back from the sheer influx of information and power coming from the ancient artifact. After another moment she returns to a normal posture.

"Now go. You have no time to waste. The dragon is hastily making its way toward the school."

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Back at the lake.

"You are quite right about your answer to this girl, Saito. This lake resides in the mouth of a dormant volcano that has been dormant for thousands of years. Its explosion was so great that there is only one other explosion that will surpass it."

"What would that be?" Inquisitively asks Saito.

"That would be a super volcano."

"What's a super volcano?" Siesta asks Saito.

He looks at his maid seriously.

"Picture a volcanic eruption that covers all of Halkegenia in ash."

Her eyes go wide.

"So, why don't you reside wherever this super volcano is?"

"That is a good question, avatar."

He gets in close to Saito. Saito could feel the heat emanating from the spirit.

"As much as it would be glorious to be in the center of an explosion of such great magnitude, there wouldn't be much left of the surrounding area. So, I wouldn't much of a cozy home afterwards."

He backs up from Saito and floats over to a rock facing. With one of his hands, he melts the rock and shapes it into a throne to sit in. As he sits down, he rests an elbow on the arm of the chair and leans on his hand.

"How about we get to the real reason why you are here."

"I came here because I need your help."

Vasuman bursts out laughing maniacally. His hair bursts into a blighter color as he laughs.

"That is rich. You came here to ask help from the spirit whose avatar you killed?"

Saito sighs in defeat.

"Yes." He simply says.

Vasuman loughs even more.

"Let me guess. You are having some trouble with that enormous dragon."

Saito and Siesta look at each other in surprise.

'You shouldn't be that surprised that he knew.' Kesia informs him.

"Oh, please, I already knew that that thing was already up and about. That volcano did erupt because of it."

'Yeah, I should have thought of that.' He admits.

Then something pops in Saito's head.

"Wait. If you knew that it was in there, why didn't you try to destroy it yourself."

Vasuman narrows his eyes in annoyance as he looks at Saito.

"I dislike being questioned by mortals, but I will entertain your question. That dragon was dormant at the time, so there was no need to go out of my to destroy him at the time. He served another purpose to me though."

"He served another purpose?"

"Yes, he did."

"What kind of purpose could that thing serve?" Siesta asks Saito.

"It absorbed a lot of energy out of that volcano. So, you should be grateful to it. It was keeping that volcano from destroying that city that was near it. It would probably still be doing that if it didn't wake up because of you void users."

He didn't want to admit it, but Saito realizes that this may very well be true.

"So, you tried to kill that thing and failed, didn't you?"

"Yes, we did."

"What about that glorious prophecy about the four and four. Weren't they supposed to stop a great calamity?"

He shakes his head.

"We tried without having the complete four and four, but we failed. I am one of the void users and familiars. We weren't complete, and but we still attacked it anyways. It . . . ate . . another void user and it got even stronger. It even grew wings.

The fire spirit begins laughing again.

"So, you gave an already powerful creature even more power."

"Yes."

His face changes from laughing to serious.

"I would like to see your familiar runes."

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face. But he takes off his cloak and his shirt so that the spirit could see his runes.

Vasuman walks over to him and walks around him as he looks him over. He pauses a moment when he gets to the runes on his back. Right after that, he walks back over to his thrown and sits.

"What makes you think that I would help you, descendent of Brimir."

The king scratches the back of his head.

"Well . . . . . . . . wait . . . . . . what did you call me?"

"Do you mean to tell me that you didn't know? You are the avatar to three spirits and have Derflinger, and you didn't know."

Saito gets a little bit of a sad look on his face at the mention of Derflinger. He also scratches his left hand lightly.

"Derflinger is gone. He shattered to pieces after absorbing one of the dragon's breath attacks. But, no. I didn't know. Derflinger was sworn to secrecy and conveyed that to the other spirits. How could I be though? I am from a different world."

"Hmph. That is a shame about Derflinger. I sincerely mean that. As far as the other thing, you are. I think it's dumb that nobody told you. We are talking about a man that could use magic to jump through time and space."

Siesta looks at Saito.

"Could he be referring to that world door spell that you had cast when you were trapped in elven territory to get back on the ship."

"He might be. Brimir was a void user. I didn't think that spell could jump worlds or time though."

"So, he could have gone to your world and gotten someone pregnant."

"I suppose it's possible."

"There is no supposing. Those runes literally mean 'Brimir's Descent'."

'We were told of the existence of those runes, but had never seen them until you came around.' Serena communicates to him.

"But why didn't they show up when I was first summoned by Louise?"

"Maybe the void runes overruled them somehow."

He scratches his head again.

"I guess that makes sense."

Vasuman casually links his fingers in front of his face.

"Let's get back to the reason why you're here. What makes you think that I will help you? You did kill my avatar."

"Yes, I did. He was breaking the balance of nature that you four spirits had agreed upon to not disturb."

"We did agree to that, but he was also doing something to make his master happy. He was only trying to make it so that I could see my love again."

"Your avatar also harmed someone very important to me and threatened to rape her. The other spirits gave me no grief about killing him. They were not happy with his actions either." Saito retorts back.

There was some anger in Saito's voice as he talked about and remembered what Flint did to Oriana.

Vasuman gets a slight smile on his face and stands up. Then he comes close to Saito again.

"I feel the fire in your soul. Emotions are what keep you burning inside. That is one of the reasons why I had chosen Flint to be my avatar. He had a glorious soul. You may be right though. He may have done some questionable things."

Saito raises an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that. You have to remember, I am an eternal spirit and you are a human. We view things a little differently than you do. But, I am going to ask you again, why should I help the person who killed my avatar?"

"Don't you feel any responsibility for this world at all? This monstrosity threatens the balance of this world."

The fire spirit turns around and begins walking back to the throne that he had created.

While narrowing his eyes, Saito speaks up again as Vasuman walks away.

"How do you think Zephira would feel if you just let the world get destroyed."

Siesta gets startled as Vasuman quickly turns around in anger and swiftly walks up to Saito. He gets so close to Saito that his face feels a slight burning sensation from the heat. He glares at the king.

"How dare you throw out her name like that!"

Saito glares right back at him.

"I am allowed to speak her name. I am her avatar after all. The only reason why you are so angry in the first place is because you know that I am right! She feels strongly about this planet and I am sure you know it too. You know that she would not be happy if you just let it get destroyed, knowing that you could have done something to stop it."

Vasuman grits his teeth and growls at Saito.

'Leave it to Saito to talk back to a spirit.' Siesta muses to herself even though the whole situation is kind of scary to her.

The spirit's body glows brightly as he agitatedly paces back and forth.

After doing this a number of times, he finally sits back down at his throne.

"How do you suggest I even help you?"

"The others have made me their avatar, but I do not expect that. Aren't there any spells that you could teach me perhaps?"

He sits there, pondering at his throne for a few moments.

"I will make you a deal, boy." He says this with a grin.

"I am willing to make you my avatar. Not only would you be replacing the one that you killed, but I also want to see what kind of destruction you will be capable of. I have seen what you have been able to accomplish with the powers of the other three inside of you. It will be interesting to see what you will be able to do with the power of all four spirits behind you. I am also offering this because you are the descendant of Brimir."

'He certainly is a chaotic one, now isn't he.' He thinks.

'He is the most chaotic and impulsive out of the four of us.' Serena says to him.

'I am not entirely sure about you becoming his avatar as well, but you will not be able to combine your power with the fire element if you only learn some spells from him.' Says Kesia.

"There is a catch, though. You have to do something for me."

'It figures that there is a catch.'

"What is it that you wish to ask of me?"

"I can burn almost anything I want. Even the planet itself."

'As if.' Kesia snidely remarks.

"But, I want you to bring the one thing that I cannot burn. Zephira here to me."

"Are you kidding? I don't have the time to do that. I don't even know if something like that is even possible. You spirits reside only in your specific locations."

"Then you don't need my help."

Saito angrily grits his teeth.

'Saito, lend me your body. Let me speak to him through you.'

He scratches his head.

'This is going to be like some kind of exorcist moment. But, okay.'

'Exorcist?' All three of the spirits question.

'I will have to explain another time.'

'Very well. Let us begin.'

Saito's eyes roll back and his mouth opens. His consciousness falls back as well. Even though he loses control, he is still aware of everything going on.

"Saito?" Siesta says worriedly.

"Vasuman." Zephira says as her voice comes out of Saito's mouth.

Siesta nearly jumps out of her skin as she experiences this.

Vasuman's eyes go wide as he hears Zephira's voice.

"My love, is that really you?"

"Yes, it is I."

He reaches out and nearly grabs onto Saito, but stops himself just short.

"I have missed you so much, Zephira."

"I have missed you as well. I love you. I always have, but you know that I cannot come to you. Our lives are desolate ones. That is the way things are. We once roamed the planet freely, but things have changed and we accepted this. Know that you will always be in my heart. Let him become your avatar, Vasuman. And, perhaps, you will feel closer to me if you do this as well."

Molten tears begin to form at the edges of his eyes.

"Very well."

"Thank you, Vasuman." She says to him just before releasing control over Saito.

After his eyes go back to normal and he regains himself, he shakes his head.

"That was pretty creepy." Siesta admits to him with a smile on her face.

"Tell me about it."

"You might want to back away, young woman."

Siesta listens and steps back half a dozen feet.

Saito remembers something and looks at him worriedly.

"You're not going to have to kiss me, are you?"

The fire spirit laughs at him, but then gets serious a moment later.

"No."

Saito lets out a sigh of relief.

"But you might wish I would once you experience what I will do to you."

A worried gulp could be heard by Siesta.

"You will need to forcibly stop your water powers from healing though. This won't work if you don't."

"Very well."

Vasuman raises a hand toward Saito.

"Good. Now burn." He says to Saito with a smile on his face as he grips Saito's forehead.

As he does this, Saito's entire body catches fire. It burns immensely and he fights every ounce of his powers to stop from activating. He screams out from the pain and crouches down to the ground.

Siesta covers her mouth and nearly throws up from seeing the condition of his body as he burns.

She screams out his name with worry.

"Stay out of this, girl." Vasuman says to her.

Just as he is about to go crazy from the pain, it abruptly stops and his skin is completely fine. He feels no pain at all.

"Congratulations. You are now my avatar as well."

Saito lets out a hefty sigh and wipes his forehead. He also looks down.

Siesta blushes lightly from the sight.

"I guess it is a good thing we have some extra clothes back with your horse."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 71 of my story.

 ****New Story****

 **My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 1**

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	72. Chapter 72: Fight For Helkegenia

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy-Two

Fight For Helkegenia

With the dragon moments away from reaching the army, everyone gets into position. They are posted a mile out from the academy.

The unified fleet of Tristan, Germania, and Albion take a staggered and semicircular position within the path of the dragon. There are 41 ships in total. Henrietta is in her battle armor and wielding her scepter on her flagship.

Within the ranks of the fleet is Colbert's Ostland. The crew of the ship includes the Ondine knights, except Guiche. With their lack of battle experience, Agnes was also assigned to the ship to give out commands.

Underneath them, is Saito's Tristalian army. Guiding their actions is Eleonore. Some of the mages of the army stand in strategic positions among the ranks and are preparing shield spells. Warriors that can't cast spells have been assigned to cannons and catapults. Guiche was among his army with his own orders.

Several griffon squads are also stationed and ready for flight.

Oriana and Saito had just made it there in time for the preparations. Along with Tiffania and Louise, they stand between some distance behind his army.

Saito begins creating his elemental army.

"Serena, Zephira, Kesia, and Vasuman! Great spirits of wind, water, earth, and fire. Lend me your strength and send forth an army of your servants so that we may defeat our enemy. Elemental uprising!"

He feels the tug on his power as he creates 60 elementals of the four elements.

Louise watches in awe as she watches him with Tiffania. The two of them had griffon riders next to them.

As the elementals form, he prepares to start creating his dragons as well.

It is during this time, that Oriana begins to create her own army of gargoyles, Fenrir hounds, and bears.

Louise gets startled from this sight and looks to the woman whom is creating them. She notices the glow coming from underneath Oriana's hood. She was about to say something, but she stops when she feels a hand on her shoulder. She looks over her shoulder and sees that it was Tiffania that put a hand on her shoulder.

Tiffania shakes her head.

"Now is not the time, Louise. If you really want to ask, then you can talk to Saito when this is all over. We need to focus on taking care of that dragon."

Louise shakes the worry off of herself and smiles to Tiffania.

"Alright." She says to the half-elf.

Just as Louise says that, they hear a shout from the airships above.

"Fire!"

The shout came from the flagship. With an amplified voice, Henrietta shouts this as the signal for everyone to fire.

Almost simultaneously, all of the cannons on the ships and from the ground are shot. The echoes of the shot ring through the air. Not only does the echo of the blast ring through the air, but it is also filled with the whistle of the cannon balls as they make their way toward the massive beast.

Mages in Saito's army light the projectiles loaded on the catapults on fire upon Eleonore's command. Then, they also get launched at the dragon.

The dragon roars out as it takes a massive amount of hits. A cloud of smoke fills the air around it. Even though it can't be seen by the massive cloud, the dragon gets knocked out of flight and it crashes to the ground.

A couple of the small red dragons flying around it also takes some of the hits as well.

Captains on all of the ships give out the order to reload.

"Let's get those cannons reloaded and prepared for the second shot! We can't let up on this thing. If you're not quick enough, then you better hope that the dragon gets to you before I do!" Agnes shouts at the Ondine knights.

Needless to say, they take heed and reload the cannons of the ship rather quickly.

The aim of the canons also gets slightly adjusted.

Within moments, Henrietta calls out for a second shot, and the ships fire again.

Another roar gets heard and its wings can be seen flailing about. The flailing causes some of the smoke around the dragon to blow away. Parts of the barrier of miasma around it seems to have been broken through from all of the cannon fire. This exposes parts of its back, sides, and face. The dragon pokes its head through and angrily glares at Henrietta's flag ship. It opens its massive mouth and fire begins collecting in the center of it.

"Oh shit!" Saito says as he notices this.

He begins to fly up.

"I can't let that thing get Henrietta. Scorching body!"

His eyes turn red and his body bursts into flames. He quickly places himself between the dragon and the flagship.

A red orb flies past him at the same time as he gets into position. He looks at it puzzledly.

The breath weapon blasts from the dragon's mouth. A massive amount fire comes toward Saito and the airships. When it reaches the orb, a glowing red wall absorbs all of the fire.

Saito quickly looks back and sees a fleet of 6 elven ships coming up from behind the unified fleet. Upon closer inspection, Saito sees Bidashel, Luctiana, and Ari on the ship. Luctiana is waving at him.

'So that is why they left. They went and got help from the elves. Thank goodness.' Thinks Saito as he smiles at the pleasant surprise.

Ari looks at Bidashel.

"That was a pretty novel idea to create a fire barrier by casting spells into those firestones." Ari says to Bidashel.

"It was something that I had learned through Joseph's madness." Replies Bidashel.

While still next to Louise, Tiffania holds one of her hands to her chest.

'It is good to see that so many elves banded together to help us out.'

Saito flies back down next to them. He turns himself back to normal.

"Are the three of you ready?" He asks Louise, Tiffania, and Oriana.

They all give him a nod.

He makes an outward motion with his hands and his army of elementals and elemental dragons rush out and make their ways towards the dragon.

Oriana gets onto her Manta ray and stands steadfast with her staff in one hand. She touches her temple with her free hand and her army also rushes out.

It is at this time, that Tiffania and Louise climb onto the griffons with their riders. They fly off in separate flanking directions.

"Mages, now!" Eleonore shouts after seeing Saito send out his army.

Upon her command, the mages in the army launch fireballs and other powerful elemental spells out towards the dragons. Other mages, including Guiche and Foquet, create golems and send them out to aid Saito's and Oriana's army.

The dragons surrounding the black dragon fly off to attack as well.

While the dragons clash with the elemental and monster army, the griffon riders with Louise and Tiffania fly off to the sides of the massive dragon, flanking it.

Amy and Guinevere, from within Saito's army, use the modified sniper rifles that they were given to help against the dragons. Siesta does as well.

Tiffania uses her signature spell on a couple of the dragons and they fly off in confusion.

Louise, after having her sister's training, also uses the same spell as Tiffania on a dragon as well. Before she could realize it, there was another dragon right behind them. Louise gets slightly scared from its close proximity to them and the griffon rider does his best to out maneuver the dragon. The dragon gets stopped and pushed back by several gargoyles. Louise looks around and sees Oriana give her a quick glance before returning her attention back to the rest of the battle.

The massive dragon begins flailing around and attacking the creatures that were now attacking it and climbing on it.

Louise and Tiffania start casting the spell that the Pope was using against the dragon. Their wands glow as they both use the spell against the miasma shrouding the dragon.

Using the distraction of his elemental army, Saito begins the next phase of his plan. Saito casts the speed up spell that he had learned from Karin on himself and begins running around toward the rear side of the beast.

While in the air, Oriana points her staff at a handful of dragons that were flying toward her.

"You are not going to get anywhere near that school!" She shouts at them.

She spins Kothar's staff in a circular motion and then points it at the red dragons. An arc of lightning shoots at one of the dragons. Then, several more arcs spark from that dragon and hit the others.

The sound of a horn being blown fills the air, giving the signal for the army to begin a retreat. The griffon riders continue to defend against the attacks of the red dragons while the airships turn around and retreat back to the academy. Saito's army methodically retreats in sections except for a small, elite group. The group that is staying behind, mostly consists of the mages that had golems assisting Saito. Eleonore, Aimee, Guinevere, and Siesta were also amongst the group as well.

The dragon stomps on some of the creatures attacking it, crushing them. It roars in annoyance. Saito's elementals, dragons, and Oriana's creatures are keeping it distracted from attacking the void users.

Tiffania and Louise continue to use the void spell to destroy the miasma.

Saito casts the Pope's spell. As he casts the spell, he adds his Lifdrasir power to boost it.

The dragon angrily shakes off the creatures that had climbed onto it and lifts into the air. It aims downward and uses its massive breath weapon to attack the earth dragon and many more of the creatures that Saito and Oriana had created. They get incinerated by the fires than come out from its mouth.

Finally leaving the battlefield, the remaining portion of Saito army retreats. All, that is, except for Eleonore. She continues to monitor the situation.

The remaining three elemental dragons continue to attack it. The water dragon bites at the black dragon's neck from above. Whipping its tail, the black dragon knocks the fire dragon away. This creates a fierce, mid-air battle. The griffon riders with Louise and Tiffania have a hard time just dodging the four dragons attacking each other.

Slowly, more and more pieces of the wall of miasma surrounding the massive dragon break away.

Saito could feel drain taking a slight toll on him. He also notices that there are still some of the red dragons lingering around. So, he breaks away from the spell that he was casting and goes after them. Switching tactics, he uses Tiffania's spell to wipe their memories and causes them confusion. He scares them away using a pyrotechnics spell.

The black dragon, after dealing a massive blow to the fire dragon, flings it at the water dragon with its huge mouth and deals the final blow to them with another breath attack.

Amongst the battle of the dragons, the black dragon's tail swings around and smacks the griffon that had Louise on it. Both the rider and Louise fall off of the dragon. The dragon swings around and opens its mouth to eat Louise, but the wind dragon flies in path. It clamps down fiercely onto the dragon for getting into its way. This also deals a final blow to last remaining elemental dragon.

Even though she is nowhere near him, Saito reaches for Louise and uses the wind as an extension of his arm.

'Fling her into the air. I will catch her.' A familiar voice says to him.

The air rips Louise away from the black dragon and flings her into the air. As Louise screams, she finds herself getting caught by a very familiar blue-haired queen and a blue dragon.

'It's good to see you.' He says to her.

'Sorry I took so long.'

'You came at just the right time. Take her to Tiffania so that they can cast the Dispel spell on that damn thing so that we can finally take out that miasma.'

'You've got it, lover boy.' She smirks while she teasingly thinks that to him.

Just as that thought is processed, the black dragon turns its head to Tiffania. The third eye opens and turns red as it stares at the half-elf void user.

"I don't think so!" Oriana shouts while riding on her manta ray.

She swings her staff around again and sends a bolt of lightning at its opposite from Tiffania.

It roars out and swings its head around to glare at Oriana.

She sends another bolt of lightning at it.

Saito could feel the spread of the veins from his runes from casting all of the spells that he has been.

Repeating what flint did, Saito slams his hand into the ground and pulls out a 30 foot whip. He cracks at the dragon.

"Come for me, you ugly son of a bitch. I am the one that you want."

Asif hearing Saito, the massive dragon turns its head toward Saito.

With a vertical slash, Oriana causes a massive bolt of lightning to shoot from the sky and smashes it into the dragon.

"Explosion!" Saito shouts.

The dragon's head jars to the side as an explosion occurs right next to its head.

Water spells can be seen being flung at the dragon from Eleonore as well.

Tabitha manages to fly over to Tiffania, and the elf jumps from the griffon to Sylphid.

"Louise, we need to cast the dispel spell on that thing. The Miasma is almost gone." Tiffania says to her.

Louise gives her a nod and Tiffania jointly grabs Louise's wand and they begin chanting the spell.

Several nine foot wind blades crash into the side of the dragon. Saito looks to see who created them and gets a pleasant smile.

"May I join the party, or am I uninvited!" Karin shouts from her manticore in an invigorated manner.

"Be my guest."

Right after hearing him say that, she raises her hands in the air and begins creating one of her tornados.

When Eleonore sees this, she takes heed and runs off in the opposite direction.

Karin sends the tornado right at the black dragon. Wind blades within the tornado slash into the enormous creature, cutting into its wings and other exposed areas.

Oriana swirls the staff in the air. This time, instead of 1 bolt of lightning, several bolts rain down upon the dragon as it lets out another roar.

Louise and Tiffania finish casting the spell. Not only does Karin's tornado disappear, but the miasma that was shrouding the dragon is completely gone.

"Everybody gets out of here!" He shouts out and communicates to everyone.

The dragon flails around and the tip of its wing knocks Oriana off of her manta ray. Eleonore casts fly on herself and begins flying over to her falling comrade.

Instinctively, Tabitha attacks the dragon to distract it.

"Ice spear!"

She sends a huge icicle that is 5 ft. wide and 15 ft. long at the oversized dragon.

Blood gushes everywhere as it hits its eye, making the left eye completely useless.

Eleonore catches Oriana, and seconds later, Her mother flies over.

"Need a lift?" She says with a smile to her daughter.

"Thank you for coming, mother."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world. By the way, nice performance today."

She blushes from her mother's compliment.

"Not to be rude, but we need to get out of here right now." Oriana says to them politely, but in distress at the same time.

"Why?" The pink-haired mother asks.

"Because he's going to do something big, and we are in the way."

"Oh, my." She says, and they quickly begin to retreat.

Tabitha takes the cue as well, and she flies off with Tiffania and Louise. Both of her passengers were completely exhausted and ready to pass out. But, they fight to keep awake to see how the rest of the fight is going to go.

Again, the dragon turns its head to face the two void mages that were flying away.

Saito does an in-flight charge at the creature while balling up his left fist. The skin on his left arm changes color and looks like stone.

"Have you forgotten about me!"

As he shouts this, he slams his fist into the side of the dragon's face and its head gets whipped into the opposite direction. It falters in its flight. It roars angrily again and begins a breath attack while turning its head to Saito. The fires from its mouth make an arc in the air as it turns.

Saito barely manages to evade the strike. He sends a barrage of attacks at the dragon to keep it distracted long enough for Karin and Tabitha to get out of range.

"Explosion!"

"Icy Wind!"

"Fireball!"

He sends flurry after flurry of attacks to the dragon. The veins rise up higher and higher. They get to the point where they were nearly spreading along his cheeks.

'This isn't good I am almost at my limit.'

'It is almost time." Serena says to him.

'Our moment of glory is almost at hand.' Happily says Vasuman.

'Let us ground the beast.' Adds Zephira

'Crack the ground.'

The dragon gets its bearings back and flies at Saito.

"I don't think so! Downburst!"

Even with its enormous size and strength, it comes crashing down to the ground from the change in the atmospheric pressure.

At the same time that the dragon crashes down, Saito flies down to the ground as well. He couples his hands together and slams them at the ground.

"Earthquake!"

The ground shakes and splits in a direct line from him to the dragon. It falters and the right legs of the dragon fall into the crack.

Saito flies up into the air again with a determined look on his face.

"Great spirits. Gather your energies and use me as your catalyst. . ."

A black orb, the size of a bowling ball, forms in his hand.

"Gather your forces of earth, fire, wind and water."

Specs of light energy (red, orange, white, and blue) streak in the air and begin collecting into the orb. As the happens, the orb gets bigger and bigger in size.

The dragon violently fights to get out of the fissure that he created.

"Let me destroy our enemy with your fury."

It finally gets out and is steady again. It looks up and roars at Saito.

All four colors are swirling in his eyes. He launches the orb down at the dragon.

"Armageddon!"

The orb envelops the dragon and the entire area around it. As it hits, it expands outward and outward. The orb creates a dome around the dragon that has a mile radius. It had expanded so far, that it even partially enveloped the front gate and wall of the academy.

Because of the expansion, everyone was able to slightly see within the dome. Every natural disaster that could occur, happens within this dome. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tidal waves occur. Meteors fall within the dome. Super storms occur with massive amounts of lightning and twisters. Hurricane winds rip through the inside of the dome. Slowly, everything begins to die down within the globe.

The roars and cries of the dragon could be heard from within the dome.

When it finishes, the globe dissipates. All of the land that was within the dome, including the front wall and gate of the academy, was decimated. The only thing that was left, was a crisp husk of the dragon in the center of it all.

Saito gets winded and falls to the ground as everyone watches. Siesta, in worry, instantly begins rushing out toward him.

He slams to the ground, right next to the dragon. While huffing and puffing, he looks up at it.

The husk cracks and black chunks of it fall all around him.

He manages to sit up on his knees.

"I'm not going to give you the chance of regenerating. I am going to make sure that you stay dead this time."

He makes a motion for Siesta to stop, and she stops dead in her tracks.

Then, he begins chanting the same spell that he had cast at the end of his battle with the 70,00 troops. Just like last time, the veins reach his eyes. Blinding white light fills the area. A blue light follows that, extending out 25 ft. all around him. The blast completely destroys and incinerates what was left of the dragon husk.

When the white light fades and everyone can see again. They see his drained and collapsed body in the middle of the destruction. There wasn't even a single shroud of evidence that there was ever a dragon.

Siesta begins rushing out to him again and shouting his name. As she runs, she gets picked up by Sylphid, whom is carrying Tabitha and Henrietta.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 72 of my story.

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 3

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	73. Chapter 73: Aftermath

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy-Three

Aftermath

Four days later, at the Tristan palace.

Saito was still asleep since he passed out after the battle. He was lying in a rather large bed. It wasn't the master bed, but the quality was nearly identical.

At his bedside was a woman. She was wearing a musketeer uniform, and it wasn't Amy or Guinevere. It wasn't even Agnes for that matter. It was Julia.

While keeping watch over him, she had brazenly sat down on the bed. She had sat down next to his head and stared at him for a moment.

She unconsciously starts to stroke his hair.

'I still can't believe how much this man has accomplished.'

She lets out a sigh.

'I can't believe how jealous I am of how much time Amy and Guinevere gets to spend with him.'

A groan begins to come from him and he begins to open his eyes. He feels the stroking of his hair stop.

As his vision slowly comes back to him, the figure sitting next to him becomes clearer.

"Julia?"

Realizing exactly where she was at and what she was doing, her face turns completely red and she hops off the bed. She bows to him.

"I am so sorry Saito. I didn't mean to . . . "

"Relax. I am not going to have your head chopped off. I was just surprised that it wasn't any of the others."

He slowly sits up.

"Well, I decided to order all of them to bed rest after watching them dote on you for three days with nearly no sleep. They were a tough bunch to convince. They were all really worried about you. You were quite pale for some time."

'That must have been because I drained all of power during that battle. I had never ran myself so low before.

"Three days. So, how long have I been out of it?"

"Four."

She sits on the bed again and wraps her arms around his neck as she gives him a hug. His eyes go wide in surprise.

"Forgive me for doing this, but I've really wanted to do this as thanks."

He pats her back to ease the woman's mind.

"Um, your welcome."

He decides to tease her a little bit.

"Are you sure that you didn't push them to go to bed in order to get me alone?"

She pulls partially back from the hug. Her arms were still somewhat wrapped around his neck and her face was beat red again.

"I would never d-d-d-do such a thing. I j-j-just ended up taking advantage of the situation."

Just as she says that, the door opens up and Agnes was standing in the doorway. Saito's eyes go slightly wide. Julia sweat drops in slight fear of who might be in the doorway. Like the tick of a clock, her head slowly turns to see who was in the doorway. When she finally sees Agnes, gloom comes over her.

Agnes' expression quickly changes, and an aggravated tick mark appears on her forehead. She slowly walks the rest of the way in and shuts the door behind her.

As she makes her approach, Julia slowly slides back off the bed.

"Because He is finally awake, I am not going to say anything, but later, you and those other two are going to have to have a long chat with me. Please make haste and let the queens and everyone else know that he is awake."

"Yes, ma'am." She quickly sputters out and dashes off before Agnes' wrath changes its mind.

She quickly leaves and shuts the door behind her.

Agnes crosses her arms.

"So, you couldn't wake up for anyone else, even when some of us slept naked with you, but you wake up when you are alone with another woman."

He sighs.

"It's not like I planned that, but if it's going to bother you that much, then why don't you come over here and be the first one to give me a kiss."

She blushes at the thought, but then she quickly does so. Just as she is in the middle of the kiss, the door opens up again and Tabitha is standing there and pouts when she sees the two of them.

'Aw, man. This is going to become a problem.' He thinks to himself.

'This is what happens when you have a harem, Saito.' Serena playfully says to him.

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After a little bit of time, Saito was surrounded by all of his women in the room except Tiffania.

"So, where is Tiffania?" He asks.

Henrietta and Siesta were both strapped to his sides on the bed. Eleonore and Oriana were sitting in some chairs.

Eleonore shifts her glasses slightly.

"She is at the academy right now."

"Why is she at the academy?"

Oriana speaks up this time.

"She is using her magic to heal the ground where you had destroyed the dragon."

"That's a lot to take on. I should go see her right away."

"Before you do that, you should go see Bidashel. He is going to be leaving soon with the other elves." Henrietta says to him.

Tabitha nods in agreement.

"You've really made an impact on them, darling." Adds Siesta.

"Why do you say that?"

"They have made peace talks with Henrietta and Tabitha. He will be going back to the Elven territory to get paperwork drawn up. He wanted to make sure that you were awake before doing anything." Informs Eleonore.

"You are going to become the main person that they will deal with because of your attachment to the spirits." Also says Tabitha.

Oriana simply smiles at her master as she admires all of his accomplishments.

"Luctiana likes being around us so much that she wishes to become an ambassador between you and the elves." Says the purple-haired beauty.

"Wow!"

"Are you going to tell them who you are?" Siesta innocently asks.

He shakes his head.

"No. That is something too big to let out. I don't want to be treated like a god and I don't want a war to break out between the humans and the elves. We are just starting to make peace with them. I can't jeopardize that. So, none of us can speak of that topic."

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After seeing Bidashel off and seeing to some other duties, Saito headed to the academy. He was flying there with Oriana and Eleonore on his wind dragon to make the trip swift. Oriana still had Kothar's staff with her.

As he approaches his eyes go wide as he sees construction beginning on the front part of the academy.

As he points at it, he looks back at his two passengers.

"I didn't do that, did I?"

They both nod at him.

He puts his hand on his forehead.

"Oh, shit."

"It's okay. Luckily, you only took out the front wall and gate. No one got injured or died. Had it gone much further, that might not have been the case." Elenore informs him.

"Thank goodness."

'Saitoooooo!' He hears in his head from his elven lover.

He looks down and sees Tiffania happily waving at him with Weylyn by her side. He waves back to her and he begins decent to land.

When he lands, she quickly rushes up to him latches onto him in a tight embrace. Her large bust presses against his chest. She gives him a big smooch on the cheek.

"It is so good to see you."

"I am really glad to see you, too." He says in return.

Weylyn rushes up to him and he pets the wolf's head.

When, she lets go of him, she turns to show him what she had been up to. All of the land that was within 300 feet of the edge of the circle had been rejuvenated.

"Wow! This is really impressive. You did all of this yourself?"

She nods vigorously up and down.

"It has been pretty tough though. I wish I could just do it all in one go."

"I still think that this is amazing."

Oriana and Eleonore nod in agreement.

"This is quite the feat." Adds Eleonore.

Eleonore looks over to Oriana.

"Why don't you come with me. I had some business with Colbert, but I think that he would enjoy seeing that staff of yours."

"What about my identity?"

"After having to smooth thing over with my mother and Louise over you, then dealing with him will be a piece of cake."

"I guess you're right. Your mother is really scary, and I really thought that she was going to kill me."

"I think that if she hadn't interacted with you during the battle and saw how you actually watched out for Louise at the battle, then she probably would have. I also had to stick my neck out on the line for you."

Oriana and Eleonore both shudder at the memory.

Saito sweat drops.

'I can only imagine.' He thinks.

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While Tiffania had gone back to taking care of the land, he flew himself over to the center of the circle, right where he destroyed the black dragon. The whole land was toasted.

"I can't believe that Tiffania was even able to rejuvenate the land at all. The destruction here is immense."

"Yes. It is quite devastated, isn't it?" comes a man's voice from the side.

The man's voice nearly makes him jump out of his skin. He gets into a fighting stance as he looks at the man next to him. He could only get a side profile of the man. He was completely black. As black as nothingness itself. Even the cloak was completely black.

"Who the heck are you? I didn't notice anyone her until you even said anything."

"The right question to ask would be what am I."

Saito furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

'It's him.' Says Kesia.

'Who?' Saito asks.

"Now. Now. Now. Don't spoil my introduction Kesia."

"Wait, you can the voices in my head?"

"Of course I can. I am the spirit of void after all. And, the void includes that head of yours."

As he says this to Saito, he turns his face toward Saito. This is when Saito notices that the other half of the man in completely white instead of black.

"You're the spirit of the void?"

"Well, you didn't think that there wouldn't be, now did you? Surely you didn't think that the spirits stopped at the four that you currently possess?"

Saito scratches his head.

"Well, with how the elves act, I wasn't sure. I figured that if there was the void element in human magic, even if it is rare, then it should exist with the elven magic." He tells the void spirit.

"That is a pretty good assumption, and you would be correct."

"So, is this where you reside? I didn't destroy your home, did I?"

The man begins laughing.

"You assume that I have a home. I am not like those other four planet-bound spirits. I can roam freely."

"Can I ask you another question?"

The spirit shrugs.

"Sure. You can ask as many as you like. I will answer the ones I feel like answering."

"Heh. Good response. Why are you showing yourself to me? I didn't seek you out or anything. Is it because of the dragon?"

"Someone that has become the avatar of four spirits and has shown off such powers like you have, is bound to get the attention of other greater beings. I suppose you could also say that the dragon had a small part in this as well."

Saito rubs his chin and looks like he is about to say something else.

"Now, it is my turn to ask a question." The spirit says to him.

He nods to give the okay.

"What is void?" The spirit simply asks.

"That is something that I have actually wondered about a number of times myself. The other elements have been easy to figure out. Earth, fire, wind, and water. At first, I just simply thought that the void element, was just simply destruction. I mean, there was Louise's explosion spell. Then there was that spell that nullifies magic. In a way, that is a form of destruction as well."

"So far, very good."

"What really confused, was the Pope's magic. Even though it was used to destroy the barrier of miasma, it was a purification/healing spell. Judging by your appearance, I would almost have to say that the void is creation and destruction."

The spirit begins clapping.

"Very good. I guess you aren't all that dumb."

'Gee, thanks.' Saito thinks.

"There is so much that can be done with void magic. You could even create an army of undead creatures to be at your beck and call."

"Being in charge of an army of zombies is not my style. Why would you ask me that though?"

The spirit points at Tiffania. She was oblivious to their conversation because she was so far away. She was also sitting on the ground from using up a lot of her power.

"I am sure that you would love to help her out, now wouldn't you?"

"I was going to, after surveying the destruction that I did. I figured that I could use my runes and mimic her spell to help her out."

"That would take a long time, now wouldn't it?"

"It seems like it would, judging by how much she has done so far."

"Speaking of your destruction, you caused quite a bit here."

Saito gets a glum look on his face.

"Yeah. I see that I did. That is why I should help Tiffania out."

"What if I told you that there is way that you can not only help her out, but you could also make those void spells take less of a toll on you?"

"After going through this four times already, I kind of have a feeling where this is going. Why, and can my body even handle it?"

"Those are good questions. Why? There has never been an elemental savant like you. I want to see how far you will be able to go. What is one more element to add to your repertoire?"

Saito starts counting on his fingers.

"If you can look in my head, then you should know that I have seven other voices in here that I hear throughout the day. Do you realize how hard it is to go to the bathroom in peace sometimes?"

The spirit laughs at him.

"But, think of how much you will be able to help Tiffania. Maybe you could even teach her a lesser form of the spell since she is a void user as well."

"I suppose that you make a good point, but what about my body? I don't know how much more it can handle."

He srugs.

"I honestly can't say for certain. After watching that spell you had cast on the dragon, then I really believe that you can handle it."

Saito sighs.

"Why the hell not?"

"That's the spirit, avatar boy."

"How is it going to be this time?"

The spirit taps his chin with his white hand, and then he taps the other side of his chin with his black hand.

"Don't you remember?"

"I'm trying to remember."

He taps his chin again and then it hits him.

"Now I remember."

Saito smacks his forehead.

"My name is Gotama"

He touches Saito's head with both of his hands. For a brief moment, Saito's mind becomes as empty as void itself. Then, it fills up again.

When he comes to, the spirit smiles at him.

"You lived." He says brightly to Saito.

"I'm not sure how to feel about that response."

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After his experience with the spirit. He flies over to Tiffania.

She looks back at him as he lands.

"Hello, dear."

He gives her a smile and then he extends his hand out to her.

"I have something to show you."

She grabs his hand he helps her up.

"What is it?"

He picks her up and flies slightly past the center of the destruction.

"I saw that you were working so hard, and I wanted to help you out. I picked up a new trick."

"I thought I felt something from you a few minutes ago. Actually, to be precise, I felt nothing and then I felt something."

"I will explain it in a bit, but I wanted to show you something."

He embraces her tightly from behind.

"Whatever you do, don't leave my embrace. What I am going to do is probably going to scare you, but it will turn out in the end."

"Okay?" She says in worry.

He quickly scans the area for other life just in case, and finds none.

'Good.' Gotama says to him.

Without even extending an arm, he recites a new void spell.

"Genesis." He says softly.

As he says that, a ring flows out from him. Following the ring, red light bursts from cracks in the ground. The ground shakes, and opens up. Portions of it burst up. This destruction follows the path of the ring, which extends out to the same width as the destruction he had made from his fight with the dragon. The entire area becomes re-destroyed.

Tiffania watches in shock.

"What is going on, Saito? What are you doing?"

"Watch." He whispers into her long ear.

After the destruction reaches the end of the circle, the land begins to reform. The protruding pieces of land shrink back down. The charred pieces begin to become lustrous again. Grass sprouts up from the ground and the entire area looks new again.

Tiffania looks back to him with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, no. Did I upset you?" He asks in worry.

She shakes her head.

"At first I was really scared and worried, but these are tears of joy from seeing the land renewed again."

She wraps her arms around his neck and plants a kiss on his lips.

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From a very far distance.

There is a man wearing a cloak of invisibility, like the one Oriana has. He smirks after watching what had just occurred.

"This is wonderful. Finally, after all these years, I have found the last thing I needed for my plan to work. I had a feeling that if I came here, that I would finally find him. The time has come exact my revenge on this world. It is time to begin the next phase of my plan."

He turns around and starts walking away.

He laughs maniacally.

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Omake

Babies

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 **A/N:** This omake would probably happen, but not necessarily within the confines of my story. So, I decided to put it in as an omake.

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Saito was in his office at his mansion. He was looking over some paperwork that Elisabeth, Friedrich's daughter, had given to him.

Siesta was finishing pouring him a cup of tea.

There was a knock on his door, and Siesta rushes over to it. When she opens it, Aimee and Guinevere are both standing there.

"Can I help you?" Siesta asks.

"We wish to speak with Lord Saito on important business." Guinevere says in a strait forward tone.

Siesta looks back to Saito, whom had heard everything. He waves to let them in. She bows to them and lets them in.

While they come in, Siesta walks back over to her tea tray.

The two musketeers swiftly walk over to the chairs in front of his long desk and sit down. He cants his head to the side and looks at them.

"What can I do for you?"

After a brief moment at looking at her counterpart, Aimee looks at him.

Siesta begins walking away and towards the door.

"We have been talking. There aren't any other good men around here. We also really want to have children."

"So, what does this have to do with me?" he asks in a slightly stupefied manner while he brings up his teacup to drink.

Siesta was getting close to the door, but could still hear them plainly.

"We want to be your concubines and have your baby." Aimee says to him.

The statement surprises him so much that he ends up spitting his tea out. The only thing that saves the two musketeers from being covered in the tea was the fact that he had quickly turned his head to the side.

Siesta was so shocked that she tripped over herself and a mass of clangs get heard as she drops the tea tray all over the floor.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 73 of my story. The final villain has been introduced.

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 4

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	74. Chapter 74: What's Everyone Up To

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy-Four

What's Everyone Up To

Two weeks later, at the palace.

It was night time and Saito was talking to Henrietta in her chambers after entering through the mirror. They had figured out that they could change who goes through depending on the order the mirror is touched.

In the middle of spending time with each other there is a knock on her door.

"Pardon for intruding your highness, but Eleonore and Agnes have returned and wish to give a report." A musketeer says from the other side of the door.

'What were those two up to the past couple of weeks?' Saito wonders.

He gets up and hides by the closet so that he doesn't get seen by the musketeer.

Henrietta covers herself up with a thick robe. Then she goes over to the door and opens it. When she opens it, she ends up having to blink a couple of times as she looks at the state of which those two women were in.

Agnes and Eleonore were both quite soiled and their hair was somewhat disheveled. They were also both blushing in embarrassment.

Silent stares were exchanged between the three women.

Henrietta's eyes did manage to drift down to see a red wooden box that Agnes was clutching on to.

"It was her fault." Both Agnes and Eleonore say as they point at each other.

Remembering that Saito was still in the room and not wanting to giveaway their secret surprise, the Queen puts a finger to both of their lips.

They stand there quiet and look at Henrietta with a slightly puzzled expression.

Henrietta motions for them to come in and the door gets shut behind them. Before Agnes could utter a word, Henrietta snatches the awkwardly heavy box from Agnes.

"Let's behave. Saito is in here with us."

They become slightly startled and their eyes start looking everywhere for him.

He pops out from the cover of the closet and waves at them.

'Oh shit.' Thinks Agnes.

The Queen just gives them a soft smile.

He walks out and approaches them.

"What happened to you two?" He asks.

"It's a long story." Eleonore states while trying not to let him know what happened.

She was also pouting in annoyance as she remembers how the whole incident happened.

"Can we just get home so that I can bathe and go to bed it has been a long couple of weeks." Eleonore also states.

"I don't see why not. You will just have to get out of here and get to that empty storage room. I could use my world door spell to get you out. We don't want anybody thinking that you spent the whole night in here like that with the Queen."

"Good idea." Eleonore says with a nod.

"Why don't you go with them?" The purple-haired Queen asks Agnes.

Slightly surprised, Agnes turns her head to Henrietta.

"But . . "

"No buts. He was just telling me how he wanted to see you since you haven't been able to spend much time together."

'Besides, she deserves it for coming up with this plan in the first place.' Muses Henrietta.

Eleonore crosses her arms and gives a loud and pouty hmph. Her hair also gives a little bit of a bounce as she turns her head to the side.

"Oh, don't be like that, Eleonore. I missed you too, but I have spent even less time with her than I have with you recently. If it makes you feel better, then we can spend some time together tomorrow night."

She perks up slightly.

"Very well. If you insist. Then, I have no problem." She says while blushing.

'This will give me time to make plans then.' She also muses.

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As stated, he used world door to bring them back to his mansion.

After giving Saito a great big kiss, she walks off to quickly bathe and go to bed.

"I almost don't even feel like bathing. I am so sore and tired."

Saito perks up.

"I have an idea. How about I try something that I have been working on with you.

She raises an eyebrow in slight worry.

"What are you planning?" She asks.

"Just hold your breath for a second."

"What?" She practically shouts as he starts casting a spell.

A 1 inch circle of water forms above Agnes' head and begins a descent. Agnes quickly holds her breath as it goes down her head. The water quickly swirls around like a whirl pool within the circle. When it finally makes its way all the way down, it disappears and she is left there completely soaked.

She stands there dripping wet, but she is also completely clean.

She gives him a glare.

"Really?"

He waves his hands.

"Wait, I'm not done."

A blast of wind come from all around her and blasts at her. She closes her eyes as it acts like a blow dryer. Her outfit flails around in the wind. When it finishes, she is completely dry. Her hair was in a slight state of mess, but it was dry.

"Yessssss. It worked."

'I'm not sure how to respond to this.' She thinks to herself.

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After a short make out session with her, he parts and lies on his side next to her in bed. He is to her left side.

She is on her back and relaxing in his bed with him. She was trying to fight back some of the urge to just go to sleep so that she could still enjoy her time with her loved one.

"I can tell that you really must be tired." He says to her.

"I'm sorry. I really am enjoying our time together."

His left hand gets a light blue glow to it and he begins rubbing his hand all over her body. Along with the slight massage he was giving her, the glow from his hand was taking away some of the fatigue from her muscles. A few soft moans leave her lips from the relief she was feeling.

'This is even better than relaxing in a hot bath. I might make him do this more often if he keeps this up.' She muses.

She is brought slightly out of her bliss as he speaks up.

"So, what have you been up to. I wasn't really told anything, and you never even said anything to me." He asks while still rubbing her.

'Oh, crap. I can't tell him the truth. What should I tell him? What if he can read my mind. Oh, no. Quickly think of something before he finds out.'

He finds another spot on her and she lets out another small moan.

'Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex.' She thinks so that he doesn't figure things out.

"Agnes?"

"Sex!" She accidently blurts out.

As soon as she says that, she covers her mouth.

'I can't believe I said that. What is he going to think of me?'

He gives her a puzzled look.

"Huh?" He asks.

'Oh, shit. I should have given him a half-truth instead.'

"Agnes?" He asks again.

"Blacksmithing station." She blurts out.

'Dammit! Why can't I get this right?' She shouts in her head.

He scratches his head.

"You have been having sex in the blacksmithing station this whole time?"

He stops what he was doing, and his eyes open wide as another thought crosses his mind.

"You weren't cheating on me, were you?"

She furiously waves her hands back and forth.

" . It's nothing like that. I would never ever do such a thing. I am completely faithful to you. I swear."

While believing her, another thought his head as another realization hits him.

"Wait. Were you having sex with Eleonore? Is that why the both of you were so dirty? Were you two acting out some kind of fetish or fantasy? If you two are into that kind of stuff, then I am sure that I could accommodate you two somehow. I also didn't know that you had become so close."

Agnes' face becomes many shades of red from everything that he had insinuated.

'How did this go so wrong?' She asks herself.

She covers her face and breathes in and out for a moment while shaking her head.

"You know, I can't read your mind. What is going on with you?"

'He can't read my mind. Thank goodness.'

He touches her forehead.

"You seem really hot."

"I am just tired. No. I wasn't having sex with Eleonore. I've been spending a lot of time blacksmithing weapons to help replace the inventory that was lost against the dragon.

'A half-truth, but he can't find out what I have been really up to.' She tells herself.

"Oh. Okay. Then, why the secrecy if it was something so simple."

"Sorry." She simply says.

He shrugs, then he raises an eyebrow.

"So, what made you say sex?"

She tries to think of a way to recover from that blunder. Then, she comes up with the answer that truly did have an effect in the situation.

"The way you were rubbing me really makes me want to have sex with you."

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A week later.

Oriana and Aimee approach a particular rock formation amidst the blowing winds of the highlands of Albion.

"Zephira, oh great wind spirit, please reveal yourself to us." Oriana says aloud.

Just as she says that, the wind spirit begins taking form right in front of them.

"I see that you have brought the staff back. Thank you and congratulations on your victory over the dragon. You performed well, and you have proven yourself to me."

Oriana gives her a bow.

"Thank you for your praise."

"Hello, Aimee." The spirit says.

Her name being called slightly startles Aimee out of the stupor that she was in from being in front of one of the spirits and the fact that it knows her name. She gives a quick bow to the spirit.

"What brings you here?" The spirit asks.

Aimee opens a small box and it reveals some metal shards in it.

"We came here to ask for another favor. It is for something that we are doing for your avatar."

"Oh?" She says in her wispy voice.

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At the same time, on the mountains in Galia.

Two other women and a wolf travel along the ridges of Mount Blanc, and get to a particular mountain ledge.

Tiffania and Guinevere look at each other.

"It is a good thing that Foquet gave us directions to get here. Your elven magic helped out a lot as well." Guinevere says to Tiffania.

"Excuse me? Kesia? Are you here?" Tiffania calls out slightly sheepishly.

The ground shakes and rocks fall from the nearby rock facing. The 30 foot version of the earth spirit breaks away and walks toward them.

"Because of my avatar, I know who the two of you are. But what, pray tell, brings you to me?"

Tiffania looks at Guinevere, and the musketeer opens a small box which also has small metal shards and pieces in it.

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Also at the same time, at the Laacher sea in Germania.

Siesta and Eleonore approach the area where the fore spirit had created a throne to sit in.

He sits there and drums his finger as they approach.

"I am surprised to see you here without Saito. It has been a while since I had last seen you, young one." The fire spirit says to Siesta.

They both give a polite bow to him.

Eleonore opens a box and show it to the fire spirit.

"We would like your assistance with a small project for your avatar." Eleonore says to him.

"Well, this is surprising." He says with a smirk.

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Tabitha and Agnes approach Lagdorian lake while riding Sylphid. They land and dismount the dragon.

Tabitha stands there stoically with Agnes standing next to her while holding a box.

Shouldn't we say something to get the spirit's attention.

Tabitha shakes her head.

"She probably already knows with Sylphid's landing. But, if you are really worried, you could always strip and go swimming."

Agnes sweat drops and gives the blue-haired girl a questioning stare. Tabitha equally looks back.

"That's what Saito did the first time we came here and he became her avatar."

Agnes lets out a sigh and she puts down the box. She was just about to start stripping when a watery and womanly figure rises up from the water. The spirt silkily begins walking toward them.

"Hello, Queen and captain. What brings you here? Would this be a simple woman to woman talk, or is there something else."

Agnes picks the box back up and opens it.

"We wish to do something for your avatar, and we wanted your help. You can't tell him though. It's a surprise. So, he doesn't know about it." Agnes says to the spirit.

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Saito is sitting at the table within his mansion for dinner.

No one else was there except for Julia, whom was standing along the sidelines.

One of the servants was leaving after setting out his meal. This leaves him alone in the dining hall with Julia.

"I never thought that I would ever say this. But, I am feeling kind of lonely right now, with the mansion being so empty. The house has been really quiet and even my head has been oddly quiet today, which is a lot to say considering there are 8 other voices in my head throughout a given day. Even the spirits have been oddly quiet today."

She chuckles a little bit.

"I guess I can see your point. That is kind of funny to think about."

"Would you like to have dinner with me?"

She stiffens.

"What?"

"Would you like to sit down and have dinner with me? I guess that I have gotten a little too used to having so many women around me that it's too quiet."

Her heart skips a beat.

'Just me and him? This is too good to be true. Wait. I do have a job to do. Must do my job. Must do my job.' She inwardly argues.

"Only if you are sure, but what about keeping watch? I am supposed to be guarding you."

"I will keep my guard up. It will be fine. I will call and have a plate made for you."

She gleefully smiles and quickly sits down before he changes his mind.

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Along her trip back from Galia, Tiffania makes a stop by the academy in Tristan.

She is currently kneeling in the middle of the area where Saito had used the Genesis spell. She begins praying to the spirit of void. Aimee is watching from a distance.

'Please let him come.' She inwardly thinks and worries.

As she opens her eyes she is startled by the sight of the two-toned spirit.

He smiles at her.

"Hello. I wasn't expecting a call from you. I hope you enjoyed that little gift that Saito had done for you."

"Thank you for that. I was really grateful. It felt really odd for me to call for you, but I could really use your help."

"Judging by what is in the box that Aimee is holding, then I have an odd feeling what this might be concerning."

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Three weeks later.

Saito was in the middle of going through some drills with his army when the bespectacled daughter of Friedrich comes up to him.

"My lord."

He looks to her with a smile after he wipes some sweat off of his forehead.

"What can I do for you, Elisabeth?"

"Several carriages have arrived, and your presence has been requested within your mansion."

"Who is here?"

She looks at her clipboard and rattles off the names of all of the women in his life.

"You could have just said something simpler and just generalized it."

She adjusts her classes and huffs.

"That is not my style, my lord."

'Just like your father. Maybe I won't tease her too much this time.' He muses.

"Very well then. Thank you."

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He walks inside of his mansion to the sight of everyone standing and waiting for him.

"What is all of this for?" He asks while scratching the back of his head.

Henrietta walks up to him and plants a kiss on his cheek.

"We have a surprise for you, and it is all thanks to Agnes."

While heavily blushed from being the source of attention, Agnes walks up to him while holding a long object with a cloth draped over it.

"What is this?" He asks while looking around.

"Just look." Agnes replies.

Everyone watches in anticipation.

He slowly uncovers the object and stares at it with wide eyes. He uncovers a sheathed sword.

"A new sword?"

Tabitha nods.

"It isn't just any sword, though." Adds Eleonore.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"It was re-forged from pieces of Derflinger." Tiffania says to him.

"And that's not all, yeah." Joyfully says Sylphid.

"It is imbued with powers from all of the spirits as well." Guinevere says with a nodding Aimee beside her.

"So that's why everyone has been gone for long periods of time. All of you travelled to the spirits."

Everyone nods.

Oriana walks up to the sword and slowly unsheathes it. Her runes glow during this process. It's the same length as derflinger, but it is different. As it becomes revealed, the blade has a shine to it, but the shine reveals an almost majestic hue. It shines with the colors of the spirits. The blade is one sided, similar to Derflinger. The other side is dulled so that he could put pressure on it with his other hand to fend off heavier attacks. There is even a piece on it that is reminiscent to the piece that was Derflinger's mouth on it.

This sword has abilities from each of the spirits. Some are similar to the previous ones that you have used. One of them being able to absorb magical spells, but now it is better. You can not only absorb, but reflect the spells.

"Did you forge this sword, Agnes."

She nods up and down.

"I am sorry. I know it is not Derflinger."

He quickly embraces her in a hug.

"It is beautiful Agnes."

She turns a few shades of red.

He lets go of her. There is a slight tear in his eye.

"It's not Derflinger. I will miss him very much." He says.

He unconsciously scratches his left hand.

"But this is wonderful. I couldn't have asked for anything better. It is wonderful. It's not super ornate and gaudy looking, but it is also not dull looking either. It is elegant and beautiful."

"I forged it from Vasuman's very own fires. Eleonore and Oriana helped me out greatly with their own expertise. Eleonore with her magical expertise, and Oriana with her experience with magical items." Agens informs him.

"Take your sword, Saito." Henrietta says to him.

He slowly reaches for the sword. His hand almost feels drawn to it. As soon as he grabs the hilt, the blade glows and he feels a slight burning sensation in his left hand. He feels like letting go, but his hand stays clamped onto the hilt.

Everyone shields their eyes from the glow.

When the glow subsides, the pain is also gone, and everyone looks at the sword.

"What the heck was that?" He says.

"Woah! This is one hell of an upgrade partner!"

"Derflinger?!" Everyone shouts.

"Hey Everybody! Long time no see."

"Derflinger? But how?" Saito asks.

"Well, when I blew up, I escaped by retreating back into the hand that had your Gandalfr runes."

'That explains the weird feeling that I sensed from you after the incident.' Serena says to him.

'Perhaps, since the sword was made from his previous metal, that is why he went into this sword so easily.' Adds Kesia.

"This is great. I am so glad to have you back, Derf."

He looks over to Eleonore.

"So, does this have something to do with why you and Agnes were so dirty that one day when I brought you back from the palace.

Instantly, the two of them cross their arms in front of their chests.

Tabitha rats them out with a simple nod.

He raises an eyebrow at the nod.

"So, what happened?"

Agnes lets out a sigh and begins to tell the story.

"We went to the spot where you had fought the dragon the first time. She was using magic to help find the pieces. She couldn't get an exact location, but she had a pretty close approximation to their vicinity. I was digging around for them and getting dirty. I told her that she should be helping me."

"I didn't want to sully my clothing. Plus, I was the one using my magic to help find the pieces."

"I got a little agitated and threw some dirt at her."

"Then I was going to retaliate with some water magic."

"I anticipated her attack and jumped up at her."

"While struggling, we both fell and rolled down a hill into the dirt."

They both sigh.

"Thank you, everyone." He says.

Then, he proceeds to starts kissing everyone as thanks (even Aimee, Guinevere, and Julia – on the cheek).

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Omake

Lonely night

The same night that he had eaten dinner with Julia.

He was about to settle into his bed when there is a faint knock on his door. He walks up to it and cracks it open enough to see who was beckoning him.

It was Julia.

"Can I help you with something?"

"C-C-Can I c-c-come in?" She asks sheepishly.

He scratches his head.

'I wonder what is up with her.'

He lets her in and shuts the door behind him. Then, he sits at the bottom edge of his bed as he looks at her.

"So, what's up?"

She fidgets slightly where she stands.

"I remembered our conversation at dinner time. I-I-If you want, I could also help to take care of the nightly duties that the others have take on. That is, if you are really that lonely."

'I would gladly take this duty on for the sake of the team.' She muses.

He looks at the floor as he tries to think about what she was meaning. It finally dawns on him what she meant after a moment. His eyes go wide from the realization, and he slowly raises his eyes to look at her. When he does this, he sees her beginning to slowly (and sheepishly) take off the cape of her outfit. She is fully flushed.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 74 of my story.

Yay! Derflinger is back, and even better than before.

FYI: I know that I am still behind on a couple of the lemons, but I am planning (hopefully) on updating one of them by next weekend. Sorry for the delay.

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 5

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	75. Chapter 75: Double Dilemma

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Sorry for the long wait, but here we are.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy-Five

Double Dilemma

Saito was flying on his elemental wind dragon towards Galia to go see his wife. Siesta, Aimee, and Guinevere were sitting behind him respectively.

Siesta had a content smile on her face while she held him from behind, while the other two girls wished that they were in her position.

He looks back to the two musketeers.

"I was wondering if you two would be interested in a different kind of training?"

He has to speak a little loud because of how fast they were going.

Siesta was listening curiously.

"What kind of training would that be, my Lord?" Guinevere asks over Aimee's shoulder.

He smiles brightly at them.

"Since I do a lot of traveling by flight, I thought that it would be a great idea to have both of you trained to be griffon riders as well. I think that they would suit the two of you well.

The two enamored musketeers look at each other and smile greatly at the thought.

'I bet that they never thought that they would have that kind of training. It makes me happy to see them so delighted.' He muses.

'That could prove to be very beneficial in future battles. They could have been the ones flying Tiffania and Louise around in the last battle.' Zephira says to him.

Siesta gives a silent pout.

'I would like to be trained to ride something, too.'

Almost as if he could read her mind, he pats her hand and she perks her head up to him.

"Don't worry. I was thinking of having you become a dragon rider as well."

She smiles brightly at him and kisses him on the cheek.

'A dragon is harder to tame and ride. Are you sure that Siesta is a good candidate for the task?' Kesia asks.

'I believe that she is. She has proven herself time and time again. She is strong in both mind and body.'

'This Siesta girls amuses me. I certainly recommend a fire dragon as her steed.' Muses Vasuman.

'I will surely consider that.' Replies Saito to the fire spirit.

"We better hurry. I am a little worried about this meeting. Henrietta and Julio are supposed to be there by the time we get there."

Everyone nods in agreement as they too feel the urgency in the matter.

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As he gets to the palace in Galia, he is greeted by two familiar faces.

"Hello, your highness." Julia says to him.

Next to her is a very ornate warrior.

"It is good to see you again. It has been a while since I have been graced with your presence." Lord Conradin says to him.

Saito smiles back at him.

"It's an honor and a pleasure to see you as well." Saito replies in kind.

Aimee and Guinevere exchange greetings with Julia while the other two shake hands.

"Come with us, your highness. We will escort you to the meeting room."

After a nod, Julia and Conradin begin escorting him with Siesta trailing behind.

Aimee and Guinevere stay behind to guard.

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Saito enters the room while the three that he was walking with stay outside. Also, outside of the room are a couple of guards from Romalia, and Agnes.

As the door to the room gets shut, he could feel the tension in the room.

In the room with him are Tabitha, Henrietta, and Julio.

All of them had worried looks on their faces.

'I knew this wasn't going to be good just from the feeling I was getting from Tabitha.' He thinks to himself.

"Okay. So, what is going on." He asks as he walks next to Tabitha."

Henrietta glances at Tabitha, and then Julio. Julio is looking away with a scowl on his face. Then she looks over to her husband.

"Saito, we have a big problem that could effect all of Helkegenia again."

He gives a slight groan.

"What is it this time? Another prophecy? Another dragon?"

"Let me explain. There have been a growing number of tremors coming from the ground recently." Tabitha begins explaining.

Saito furrows his eyebrows as he thinks.

"Anywhere in particular?" He asks.

"Not exactly, but they do seem to be mostly stemming from the lower areas of Galia and then in Romalia.

Saito looks to Julio, whom is still scowling.

'What has got him so worked up?'

Then, he thinks about the tremors.

'Do you know anything about this, Kesia?'

'They are not coming from my mountain range. But, I can tell that there IS something brewing.'

"While trying to investigate this myself, I asked for council with Julio, since he is the acting Ruler for the time being."

Saito nods while knowing of this himself.

'With the current chaotic state of affairs in Romalia, he has been the acting ruler since the Pope is gone.' He notes to himself.

Julio lets out a very long and exasperating sigh. It was as if he had been holding the entire time Saito had been in the room.

"I suppose this is where I should tell him what I know."

"Julio?" Saito says questioningly.

"As she had already said, there have been tremors that have been felt in Romalia as well. There was something that the Pope had told me one night while intoxicated. I had blown it off until now, thinking that what he was saying was rather ludicrous. But, with recent events, I believe that what he had told me was true."

After letting what Julio had said sink in, he gives him a stern look.

"What did the Pope tell you?" He asks.

"I don't exactly know how he knew, but he told that there are many wind stones growing under certain areas under Helkegenia."

"We know that kind of information. They grow naturally." States Saito.

Henrietta shakes her head.

"Listen to him more." Tabitha tells him.

"He told me that the stones are in such high concentration, that it could rip a huge chunk of Helkegenia out of the ground and leave half of it uninhabitable."

"The last time something like this happened, Albion was created." Henrietta adds.

Saito's eyes go wide from the revelation and his heart starts racing in fear.

'Calm down, husband. We think that there might be a way out of this. Please listen though. He has more to say.' Communicates Tabitha through their bond.

She tries to send warm feelings his way, but it doesn't help much.

"He was going to use this catastrophe as a ploy to invade the elven territory. Since he had done so much research on the elves, he knew how plentiful their lands were. He said that there would be enough resources to supply everyone. The thing that scared me the most, was that he mumbled something about using a spell to commit genocide on the elves."

Saito's heart skips a beat when he hears that.

"That's insane!" Shouts Saito.

"Yes, it is." Julio admits.

In shame, he looks away from everyone as his heart aches from the thought.

'Saito, this is not something that is farfetched. You, yourself, could perform such a feet using void magic. Entire races could crumble before you with just a simple utterance of a spell.' Gotama tells him.

'That is frightening. Don't ever teach me such a thing. I could never do that. Even after seeing all of the prejudice that is in my world, I still wouldn't want to do such a thing. Racism is an obstacle to overcome, not to obliterate by killing off an entire race.'

'I warn you. There may come a time where you may change your mind. There are races in the universe that you may find to be unsalvageable.'

Gotama's words scare him to his core, but he forces himself back into the current situation.

Now, Saito is the one who lets out a sigh.

"With him gone, then we don't have to worry about that anymore." Henrietta says to everyone.

"But, the people could still end up turning toward the idea of invading the elven territory anyways with this kind of threat."

Tabitha nods, and then Julio.

Saito puts his hand to his chin as he tries to think of ways out of this.

"Can't we mine them?" He asks.

"The elves currently have the best equipment that can mine as deep as most of the kinds of deposits we would be looking for. Supposedly, though, the worst deposit that we would need to get to is supposedly really deep."

"Where is this deposit? How deep?" Asks Saito.

Julio shakes his head.

"I am going to have to scour his research papers to try to find it."

Tabitha tugs on his arm.

"We were thinking that you might be able to get down to the deposits yourself since you are the earth avatar." She says to him.

'This would be something that you should be able to do.' Kesia informs him.

'If it is wind stones that you are after, then I have a task for you.' Zephira says to him.

'A task?'

'Yes. As they have already stated, Albion is the way it is because of wind stones. Albion is also my home. I can feel the wind stones within the island slowly losing their power and the island will eventually sink back down.'

'Couldn't you recharge them?'

'I potentially could, but they are very deep inside of the island. It should be very easy for you to get to them with your earth avatar abilities. But I am asking that you recharge them.'

'Me? But how?'

'You could drain the power from the stones into yourself and then transfer it to the stones that are here.'

'Then I would be killing two birds with one stone.'

'Yes. You would be solving one problem and fixing another.'

"Saito?" Henrietta says to get his attention.

"Uh . . yeah?"

"You were spacing out. Are you alright?" Julio says.

"Yes. I was conversing with the spirits. I think that I have an idea on how to deal with this."

"We are listening." The blue-haired Queen says to him.

"Julio. I need you to hurry and find that location for me."

He nods.

"Perhaps I could borrow Colbert and Eleonore to help me decipher his research."

He nods back to the former familiar.

"I am sure that won't be a problem. I will get in touch with both of them. I will deal with those stones myself. Zephira has asked me to recharge the stones in the Albion island."

"It sounds like you have even more plans. What are you thinking?" Asks the other Queen in the room.

"Since we are on growing terms with the elves, maybe we can gain their help. Even though I could probably handle getting at all of the stones just by myself. It would be rather cumbersome. Maybe we can offer them some of the stones as trade for their help. I am sure that they would love to have some wind stones for their airships. We should probably leave out the ploy that the Pope had in store for them though. The point is rather mute anyways since he is dead."

Tabitha nods in agreement.

"I will have to get in touch with Luctiana. I am sure that she would love to help arrange this and help out."

'I just hope that she won't ask me and Tiffania about watching us together again.' He muses to himself.

'It's not like you aren't technically being watched anyways. So, does it really matter if she did?' Serena boldly says.

He mentally sighs.

'You just had to bring that up, didn't you?'

Serena giggles lightly.

"I am sure that we can also use our own resources for some of the others."

"It will take time to find all of the hot-spots, but your plan seems pretty sound to me." Stoically responds Tabitha.

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As planned, He got in touch with the elves through Luctiana and Bidashell with Tiffania. They agreed to the tradeoff to not only get some wind stones, but also build relations with the elves.

It is during this time that Eleonore and Colbert were scouring through the Pope's research to find the location of the major site of wind stones. After a couple weeks of scouring the research, they find what they are looking for.

Humans, and elves alike began multiple excavations of wind stones as the sites were found by Saito and other high-level mages. At some of the sites, Saito had a feeling of being watched. But, as soon as he would get the feeling, it would quickly go away.

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After finding out that the major location was on the outskirts of Romalia, Saito quickly made haste for the site. Along with him, went Julio and Agnes.

They land at a village near the location of the supposed site.

As Saito and Agnes get off of one of his dragons, Julio gets off of his.

The town is a small farming community with this part of it being a small community center. There is a restaurant, a general store, and a church nearby.

Julio momentarily walks off and talks with a couple of local people in the area.

A teenage girl walks out of the church with a food basket and heads down a path that seams to lead out of the community area. She seems to have a slightly worried look on her face as she takes off down the path.

"Isn't that the way that we are supposed to go?" Saito asks Agnes.

She pulls out a map and looks it over for a minute. Then, she looks back up at him.

"Yes, it is."

'I wonder why that girl went in that direction.' He ponders.

"Do you recall if we had sent any excavators into this area?"

"Not that I can recall, your highness."

He scratches his head.

Julio walks away from a group of people and heads for the church at a hastened pace.

"Why don't you track that girl and see what she is up to."

Agnes just gives a simple nod and quickly darts off to try to catch up to the girl.

After about 20 minutes, Julio comes out from the church with a look of confusion on his face.

"What is it, Julio?"

"It is to my understanding that there are members of the church on guard nearby. Apparently sent by the late Pope. The townsfolk have been sending food to them for quite some time now."

"That is awfully odd. Did you know anything about this, or did the Pope ever talk about it?"

Julio just shakes his head.

"There was a girl that left this village with a basket of food. I had Agnes tail her. I do have another worry about these guards though."

"What is that, Saito?"

"If this is Vittorio's doing, then he could have put them there to protect the stones?"

"I hope you are wrong."

After another 15 minutes, the girl ends up walking back into the village with Agnes not too far behind. The captain walks up to Saito and Julio.

"Report." Saito says to her.

"The girl walked down that path and ended up diverting off on a small trail. She left the basket on the deck of a small cabin with holy symbols on it."

"Saito, your hypothesis is starting to sound more and more true. If they are members of the church, then I should just be able to relieve them of their duty and send them back off to the church."

"I hope so."

Agnes nods along with Saito's statement.

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Agnes had led them down the path and trail to the cabin. Nobody was there. So, they continued on to their main objective.

They reach an area that has some rather large rocks around it. There are a handful of trees. The area looks rather majestic with the bright light shining through the clear skies.

A woman's voice breaks the group's revere of the sight.

"Who goes there?"

The woman comes around from behind one of the boulders. She is garbed in a white outfit with symbols of the church on it. She has on a light amount of armor that covers her shoulders, chest, hips, and her legs up to her knees. She has a sword strapped to her side

Behind her appears a heavily armored man. He is fully covered in armor. It is also adorned with holy symbols. He is carrying an axe.

His armor and her sword give off a slightly odd radiant glow.

"I am Julio Chesare. I am the acting Pope for the late Pope Vittorio Serevare."

Both of the guards bow to him.

"We are honored by your presence." The female guard says to him.

"Are the two of you stationed here?" Julio asks.

"Yes. It is our duty to guard these lands from people who may come to take the precious stones away that are underground."

"Well, you do not have to worry about this responsibility any longer. I am relieving you of this task. You may return to the church and await further orders."

"With all do respect, we can't abide by that."

Saito, Agnes, and Julio get taken aback by the response.

"Even though you say that he is dead, Vittorio's words are absolute. So, we are going to follow his orders until the end." The armored man says.

Saito inwardly groans.

'What is it about Vittorio and Joseph that had people blindly following them?' The king annoyingly ponders.

"This is treasonous in itself, by not following my orders."

"Forgive us, but you are not Vittorio." The woman apologetically says.

"Is there no way for us to talk this out?" Asks Julio.

"No."

Agnes begins to draw her sword, as does the other female warrior.

Saito looks over to Julio.

"This area is under your jurisdiction. Shall I just leave them in your capable hands, or would you like some assistance?" He asks the acting ruler.

Julio gives him a bit of a playful grin.

"As much as I am flattered by your trust in my capabilities, I also don't get too many chances to fight along side you. You have my permission to help me with these two. I don't want them killed though. They are just following orders. We can't get too mad at them."

"We can be plenty mad at them. The not killing I can understand but this is just ludicrous to go against you like that."

Julio just shrugs and draws his sword.

Saito quickly raises up his hands.

"Gust!"

A blast of wind flows and knocks back the female warrior, but the heavily armored one stands firm. The armor gives a slight glow as it gets his by the wind.

"I'm not going down that easily with this armor on."

"Brother, that's no ordinary armor. And, that sword that the woman is magical as well. Can we keep the sword when we defeat them? She is really sexy and has some nice curves."

"Really Derf?"

"Hey, a sword can get lonely."

The female warrior quickly gets up and growls at them.

"Leave this one to me!" Agnes shouts as she rushes towards the female.

The two women quickly clash swords. And several blows. They both make attacks and defend against the other's blows. Agnes can quickly tell that she has the upper hand as far as technique goes.

"Hey, Agnes! Do you want to use Derflinger? He might be of use against that magic sword of hers?" Saito shouts over to the captain.

The two women get into a sword lock with the opponent's sword close to Agnes' face. Heat emanates from the sword and causes the right side of Agnes' face to get a red hue to it.

"No. I don't need a magical weapon to face against a second-rate fighter like this."

The other woman glares at her and shouts.

"How dare you, you bitch. With this weapon, I am better than you!"

Saito and Julio get an amused smirk as they realize what is about to unfold.

'Boy did she say the wrong thing to Agnes.' The two of them think.

Agnes' facial expression contorts with a mixture of anger and annoyance. Then, she kicks the female warrior away and quickly rushes at her again to re-engage into battle.

The armored man chuckles.

"I guess that leaves the two of you with me."

"That's a shame for you." Retorts Saito.

"Awful cocky for someone that is going to be facing against a man that is wearing Gabriel's armor."

Julio's eyes go slightly wide at the mention of the name.

"Saito, I know of this armor, now that he said what it is. Gabriel was a strong holy warrior from centuries ago. This armor was forged especially for him. The greatest mages helped in its creation."

"That doesn't mean it can't be defeated." Saito says back.

"Hmph." The man grunts in response.

Fire blast from Derflinger as he shouts flare. The fires hit the man's armor and get absorbed by it.

"Well, isn't this just dandy?" Saito says rhetorically to Julio.

The man swings his axe downward at Julio, and Julio blocks it with his sword.

"That is a pretty good sword for it to take a hit from my axe like that."

"That you for your praise. This sword was given to me by Vittorio as well."

Saito come around and hits the arm that is holding the axe with Derflinger. A loud bang is heard. The armor doesn't seem to take much damage, but the man drops the axe.

"They sure don't make armor like that anymore." Derflinger says.

Blue begins swirling into Saito's eyes.

"Body of water." Saito says, and his body takes the form of water.

The change slightly startles the warrior but then he gets a smirk and punches at Saito.

Saito leans into the attack as he goes in for a punch as well. He gets hit in the shoulder hard and gets knocked back.

"Damn. That actually hurt."

He shakes his head and goes back into his normal form

"I think that you might be in for a run for your money in this battle." Julio says to the kind with a little bit of playfulness in his remark.

Julio makes a number of attacks at the armor to no prevail.

'I bet I could overwhelm his armor with some of my heavier attacks, but I don't want to accidently kill him.' Thinks Saito.

'Why don't you just use the memory spell on him. I highly doubt that armor can protect him against void magic. It was probably infused with only the four main types.'

'Good idea, Gotama.'

"Hey, Julio! Buy me some time!"

After a quick nod, he makes another assault on the man. The guy goes to pick his axe back up as he ignores a few blows from Julio's sword. His movements are slow from the heavy armor. Julio takes advantage of this and quickly tumbles past the man to get to the axe.

Saito begins chanting Tiffania's spell with ease due to the fact that he is the avatar of Void.

Julio manages to grab the heavy axe and keep it away from the warrior.

Amidst their fight, the female warrior notices Saito casting a spell. She jumps away from Agnes and slices into the air. A blade of flames shoots out from her sword and into Saito's direction.

Agnes quickly reacts as she sees the woman doing this.

'I can't let her hurt Saito.'

She grabs the edge of her cloak and attempts to shield herself as she jumps between her attack and Saito. She takes the brunt of the hit and she tumbles to the ground. Parts of her get singed from the blow and there are some burn marks on her.

She growls through the pain and quickly gets back up. The adrenaline coursing through her body is allowing her to ignore some of the pain.

"What the hell! Your crazy."

"And you attacked my king. You will pay for that!" Agnes retorts.

Saito finishes the spell and the man gets a confused look on his face as he tries to figure out what is going on.

"What the . . . "

Saito charges at him and hits him with Derflinger. The guy stumbles and falls over, but then he begins to try to get up.

Julio pulls the helmet off of the man and hits him over the head with it. He falls over unconscious.

Agnes charges at the other warrior with a crazed look in her eyes.

The female's eyes go wide in fright. She slices at the ground between her and Agnes. A wall of fire bursts up between them, but this doesn't stop Agnes. She jumps through the fire.

The sight of the glow reflected on Agnes as she jumps through the fire sends a terrifying chill through the woman. She screams out in terror. Agnes knocks her sword out of her hands before her feet even land on the ground. When she lands, she puts a foot between her enemy's legs and trips her onto the ground.

Before she can get up, her sight is met with the tip of Agnes' sword.

"Don't even think about it."

The warrior could tell from the dark tone in Agnes' voice that she meant business. She concedes.

Saito looks over to Agnes and could tell that she had some pretty bad burn marks and quickly rushes over to her aid.

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After stripping the armor off the male warrior, the two guards were tied up.

Saito stands over the location that the late Pope and marked.

"I can feel the wind energy emanating from underneath. It is an enormous amount."

Orange flows into his eyes.

With a wave of a hand earth starts piling out and starts creating a tunnel for him.

While this is going on, Zephira begins talking to him.

'I need to tell you this now before you begin absorbing the energy from those stones.'

'What is it that you need to tell me?'

'You will need to make haste to Albion as soon as you absorb the energy.'

'Why?' He asks her in a worried tone.

'That much energy could end up tearing your body apart if you don't get rid of it as quickly as possible.'

'It would have been nice if you would have told me this a little sooner.'

'Actually, it slipped my mind until just now. Sorry. That kind of action would be nothing for a being like me. So, it didn't dawn on me until just now.'

He sighs and shakes his head.

'Oh, well. I will just have to make this a really quick trip.'

Eventually, he finishes making a 10 ft. wide tunnel all the way down to the wind stones.

"I will have to leave you two behind for a while. As soon as I absorb the energy I will have to quickly go to Albion or this could kill me."

"That would be a rather unfortunate and a terrible way to die, my friend. You survive a battle of 70,000. Then you take on an entire country, and a dragon. Only to die from absorbing the power from wind stones."

"It certainly would." Agnes says in agreement.

Saito chuckles a little bit.

"So, your going to leave me here with Julio and those two?"

He nods.

"Don't worry. I will try not to take too long."

Saito then changes into an earthen body and effortlessly slides down the wall of the tunnel as if he was part of it.

He gets to the bottom and uses his powers to excavate some more of the area out. He gazes at the stones and they kind of remind him of sandstone.

A tremor occurs and the area shakes. Bits of dirt fall around him.

"I guess it's a good thing that I came here when I did." He says aloud.

His hands glow as he places them on the stones and starts absorbing their power. He could feel the overwhelming flow of power into his body.

"Yep. I agree. I can definitely see why you said that this could kill me.

Just as he says that, he starts bleeding from random tears in his skin.

'I better get out of here.'

"Cen gyfu hagalaz sowilo beorc daeg ansaz sorn wyad."

The world door opens before him and he step through to where Zephira is.

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He spends about 2 hours in Albion as Zephira leads him to the stones he needs to recharge and uses his earth powers to get to them.

He recharges all of the stones with the power of the ones he took from the site.

When he returns back to the site, he helps Julio get the two warriors back to the palace in Romalia.

Julio keeps the holy armor, but he amusingly leaves the sword with Agnes as a reward for their help.

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A couple nights later, morning

After a long night with his two queens, Saito was relaxing in his chambers in the palace in Galia.

A knock is heard on his door.

"Come in."

The door opens, and Agnes comes in with Aimee and Guinevere. His two guards have smiles plastered across their faces.

Agnes stands there with her arms crossed and a look on her face like she was about to begrudgingly say something.

"What is this all about?" He asks in a simple manner.

"They are part of our circle."

He cants his head to the side.

"Huh?" He says dumbfoundedly.

She sighs.

"They are your mistresses too. Along with Julia. And, before you ask, I did discuss this with the others."

"Yesssssss." Aimee and Guinevere say to each other in a hushed tone.

"And, we got to beat Julia to the punch." Aimee whispers.

"She is going to be so jealous" Replies Guinevere.

Agnes glares at them.

"Don't get too cocky, you two. I told her first. The only reason she isn't here is because she is with Henrietta right now."

They both pout.

"How did this happen?" Saito asks.

"I know that they like you. After some . . . persuasion, they also told me that they had confessed to you in the courtyard at one point. Then there was also the hot springs incident."

"I swear that that was just an accident!" Aimee says in a panicked tone.

"It's also not like they are going to get boyfriends while hanging out with you all of the time."

"I guess you've got a point there." He says after thinking about it.

"BUT. They are not going to get more time with you than the rest of us. And it better not affect their duty, or I will have all of their heads. Do I make myself clear?"

Even though it wasn't directed at him, he nodded his head along with the other two to make sure that she is appeased.

After a huff, Agnes leaves the room with a satisfied smirk on her face.

'Am I getting just as bad as the Henrietta over all of this stuff?' She muses.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading chapter 75 of my story.

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 6

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	76. Chapter 76: Taken

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy-Six

Taken

Afternoon, at Saito's mansion.

After eating a nice lunch with everyone and sending Henrietta, Agnes, Tabitha, and Sylphid back to their respective kingdoms using the world door, he settles himself down in the library. He sits on the couch that was in there.

He spaces out for a bit as he looks out the windows in thought. Aimee and Guinevere were on guard nearby.

'What am I going to do?' He thinks.

He props his arm up on the arm of the couch and rests his cheek on the fist of his right hand.

'Ever since I caught Eleonore and Siesta ogling the rings that my wives and I have, I have been racking my head as to what to do for them. I could tell that they really wanted ones, too. I bet that they aren't expressing that to me verbally though simply because they know that they are just mistresses. I feel bad that they can't wear rings too. I want them to know how much they mean to me as well. We have all been through so much, Even Aimee, Guinevere, and Julia.'

He lets out a soft sigh.

'You know, they would probably be happy with something other than rings.' Serena says to him.

'You think so? They seemed to have really liked the rings.'

'I should know, part of me wouldn't mind having something that signified our bond as well. It doesn't bother me too much though. I am timeless and things like that are superficial.'

Having something that signified our bond wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. It's kind of an odd thing for me to think about.' Kesia also says.

'But you are thinking about something like that. What made you come to this?' He asks.

'Perhaps watching the behavior of the women around you has altered my perspective on some things.' Zephira communicates.

He rubs his chin.

"Hmmmmmmmmm." He mulls out while rubbing his chin.

'Even more fuel to the fire.' The king thinks to himself.

The two musketeers that were just in his thoughts a moment ago look at each other in puzzlement as they watch him in his funky mood.

Guinevere walks toward the couch and gets within a few feet of him.

"Ummmm. Lord Saito?"

As he gets jerked out of his thoughts, he looks over to the musketeer.

"Is something wrong?" He asks after looking at the worried expression on her face.

"Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing. You seemed really out of it. Are you okay?"

Aimee gasps and places a hand in front of her face as a thought comes to her mind.

After hearing the gasp, Saito and Guinevere both look over to the other musketeer.

"What is it, Aimee?" Asks Guinevere.

"It's not because you have been having too much sex, is it?"

With all of the women in his life, Guinevere actually seriously ponders on this statement for a moment in seriousness and then looks back at Saito. There is a slight blush to her cheeks at the thought of having too much sex with him.

After briefly being stunned by Aimee's declaration, he begins laughing.

"I will be honest, that thought never crossed my mind."

"Is it true then?" Aimee asks in earnest.

He shakes his head.

"No. That is, by far, not my problem. At least not yet." He admits.

Aimee gives out a slight sigh of relief.

'I thought that we were already gonna have to be put on the backburner.' Thinks Aimee.

After also seeming relieved for some reason, Guinevere pushes on.

"So, what is the matter, my Lord?"

He looks at the two girls before him and he gives them a soft and reassuring smile.

"I can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you that everything is going to be fine. I am going to head out shortly, but I can't take you with me."

What he says startles the two musketeers.

"Your highness, you have to let us come with you. We are assigned to you for a reason." Guinevere says in protest and with a concerned look on her face.

The expression would almost be a fitting resemblance to one that Agnes would probably be giving him right now.

Aimee nods in agreement with Guinevere's statement.

"I am sorry, but I can't take you two."

'I can't take a girl with me that I might be getting a present for.'

"If you can't take us, then is there someone that you can take with you as precaution?" Adds Aimee.

He ponders on the idea for a moment, but he quickly comes to a conclusion.

"No. This is something that I want to do alone."

"When will you be back?"

"I shouldn't be gone long at all. I should be back later this evening."

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After leaving his mansion, he had headed for the place that he had taken Henrietta to on one of his dates before getting married.

He was dressed in far more casual clothing and not in any of his kingly outfits.

He looks around at some of the various shops that were in the area as he tries to figure out what to do for everyone.

'I have got no damn clue as to what to do for everyone.'

He begins looking around at some of the other people walking around. It is quite the range of people. He sees peasants, nobles, and warriors alike.

'I can't wear anymore rings. I don't want to look like a gaudy idiot brandishing tons of jewelry and necklaces, but I want something. I need something to symbolize not only my bonds with the girls, but also my bonds with the spirits as well'

Then, an idea hits him as he looks at a warrior that passes by. He heads to a leather shop.

When he gets to the shop, he discusses with the owner what he wants made for him. He obviously doesn't tell the owner that what he wants is being made with all of his mistresses in mind.

They decide on a leather glove with 5 different jewels brandished across the knuckles. Each one a different color that represents the 5 five spirits that he is the avatar to.

The stones also stand for each of the other main girls in his life.

He already had the wedding ring which symbolized his bond with Henrietta and Tabitha. So, he was down to what to decide what to do about the three musketeers that had just recently been added to his harem.

They decided to add three standard studs along one side of a buckled strap that went across the back of his hand.

Satisfied with his decision and finding out what the price would be, he left the leather shop.

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'Now, to figure out what to give each of the girls.' He thinks as he keeps looking around.

His eyes settle on a familiar shop. The shop whose owner he had gotten two necklaces from already.

A nostalgic smile comes to his face as he sees the shop.

He approaches the shop.

"Hello there! How can I help you?" The shop keeper says as he greets him with his usual greeting.

After getting a little closer, Saito lifts his hood just enough for the man to see his face and then he hides it again.

The shop owner smiles at Saito as he remembers him.

"It is always a pleasure to see a returning customer, especially one such as yourself. What are you looking for today?"

"Well, I have a rather large request from you. I am in the market to purchase 7 necklaces from you."

"Seven? Wow! If I may ask, why so many?"

Saito scratches his chin in thought for a moment.

"They are gifts for various people that are special influences in my life and I want to show my appreciation for them."

"You are a very kind man. It is good to have such a thoughtful King like you."

"You flatter me."

"What kinds of necklaces are you looking for. Actually, the question would be what kinds of people are you looking to get them for?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, some people like fancy necklaces, and then some people are more than happy to receive a simple pendant. Then, sometimes, it is just a matter of matching the kinds of clothing the person wears."

Saito scratches his chin in thought.

"Man am I glad I came to you. I am no good at some of this stuff."

The man chuckles.

"This kind of stuff happens all the time to me."

"Well, I am buying for a wide variety of people."

"I will help you the best that I can. Let's discuss each person at a time."

"There was one other thing."

"And what is that?"

"As we figure this out, I was wondering if there was a way to meld a simple gold ring into the back of each necklace/pendant that we come up with. Like a symbol meaning a circle of trust."

"You say that you aren't all that great at this stuff, but that is a pretty thoughtful idea. I'm sure it can be done for you. I can easily do something like that. Let's get started."

Saito nods and begins describing the people.

In the end, they come to decisions for each person.

For Eleonore, they actually decided on a simple golden broach in the shape of a flower. The ring was going to be disguised in the center of the flower.

A gold necklace was chosen for Oriana. Hanging off the necklace is a clear goshenite stone with a golden setting to match the necklace.

They decided to keep the same theme for the musketeers, including Agnes. Matching pendants with a black string. The pendant, is a silver circle with a musket etched into it. A silver ring is melded into the back of it.

It was decided that Siesta was going to get a silver ring with dual black strings attached to it.

"This order will take some time to make. Are you in a rush?"

"I can wait. Take whatever time is needed to get it finished nicely."

"Thank you. I promise not to let you down, and I swear that I won't tell a soul about it.

Saito gives him a nod.

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Saito walks away from the shop and realizes that it has gotten quite late.

There was hardly anymore light left and all of the other shops had closed up for the evening.

"I got so engrossed in what we were doing that I didn't even know it had gotten late." He mutters to himself

He shrugs.

'I guess it doesn't matter that much. I better get back soon though. Those two musketeers of mine are going to get quite mad if I don't get back like I said I would.'

He begins walking along.

As he walks, he begins thinking about all of the choices he had made today. Then he thinks about all of the girls themselves and how much he really does care for each and every one of them.

Just as he is thinking about all of this, he hears something right behind him. Just as he is about to turn his head, he feels a sharp pain in the side of his neck.

"I finally got you." Comes a male voice from behind him as he injects something into his neck.

'Damn. I got careless.'

The only thing he manages to see before passing out is the building that he was just passing.

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Saito slowly, and groggily, starts to stir awake. Before his eyes even open he tries to move his body but he quickly realizes that he can't.

His eyes open and his pupils adjust much slower than he wishes them to.

When they finally adjust, he finds that he is in a dimly lit room. The room is lit up by 8 candles spread out evenly in a circle around him. He is in the middle of a circle that is drawn on the ground with some kind of writing on it.

He also sees that his limbs are pinned down to the floor by what looks to be daggers. He feels no pain coming from them though. At the ends of the daggers are small glowing orbs. One orb are colored red, blue, white, and orange.

A man laughs in the background and starts walking into view. He is wearing black clothing from head to toe. His hands are completely pale. He pulls down the hood of his cloak and it reveals what looks to be a middle-aged man with a bald head. The skin is as pale as his hands were.

He cackles at Saito.

"So. You finally awoke. I was almost wondering if you weren't going to wake up. Not that that would have even mattered to me. I don't need you awake. It just makes it a lot more fun."

"Why is that?" Saito groggily says as he is still trying to find his bearings.

The man gives him a great big grin.

"Because now I get to tell you my huge and long awaited plan. Then, I get to see you try to squirm and struggle to get out of your hopeless situation so that you can save everyone on the planet. That especially goes for the women in your life. You get to be awake while everyone else gets killed."

He gets visions of the women that he had just been spending so much time buying gifts for.

"What the hell are talking about? Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Saito asks in a much more raised tone."

He sighs.

"Ahhhhhh. So many questions and so little time. I've waited so long for this. I guess it wouldn't hurt to wait a little bit longer and humor you. By the way, don't even try to think about communicating with the people that you are bonded to. I went to extra lengths to make sure that you couldn't communicate with anyone."

Just as he says that, Saito tries to communicate with Tiffania, Tabitha, and Oriana to no avail. He can only still weakly feel his bonds.

"The same thing goes for the spirits."

'Kesia, Serena, Zephira, Vasuman, Gotama, anyone?'

He gets no response.

"How?" Asks Saito.

"Messing with the communication between familiars and their masters wasn't as hard of a task as dealing with the spirits and their avatar. It has taken time, but that is all I've had."

"That's all you've had?"

"Yes. That's right. That's all I've had. I have been around for thousands of years. If he were alive today, then I would be almost as old as Brimir himself."

"There's no way."

"And why not?" The man nearly shouts.

He starts pacing around Saito.

"There are spirits, aren't there? The elves live a long time. They live much longer than humans. But, don't worry, I am not any kind of new race. I am human, or I at least was. Maybe I wouldn't be considered that anymore. I am a void user."

Saito's eyes go wide in shock.

"But there can be only four."

"You are an idiot if you seriously believed that there could ONLY be four users at a time. Do you honestly believe that this universe is honestly that anal and rule bidden that there can be only four?"

"I suppose that deep down inside I didn't. I just kind of took it for granted, even though I've doubted so many other things."

He struggles to move his body, but the only thing that he seems to be able to do is move his head.

"Whether you believe it or not, I am a void user, and I have kept myself alive for so long by infusing my body with void spells. I have made myself ageless because of my own actions. You could say that I have created my own fountain of youth."

"Yeah, well, it looks like you've taken a toll for that."

"Shut up you brat. You are in no position to say anything to me."

"Anyways. Why does any of this involve me or everyone else on this planet? I don't care if you live forever."

"It's because I HATE this world. It has done nothing for me. All I've gotten is being laughed at and picked on. I have been outcasted and banished. I have been labeled a lunatic and a heretic. Everyone laughs at me or looks at me in disgust. I tried to bring new ideas and then I would just be shunned away. There was no love or companionship for me."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't give me your pity! I don't want it, nor do I care to have it. Especially coming from a person like you, whom everyone adores and loves. All I have is hate and revenge. Ever since my early days I've wanted nothing more than to get back at this world. I have been brewing my plot for so many years that I don't even care how it developed to what it is today. For as powerful as I am, I still lacked enough power to destroy this world and make it my own."

"If you destroy it, then there would be no one left to be in it with you." Saito tries to reason.

"I am sure that there might end up being some survivors that I could enslave if I really wanted to. I could kill them and create my own undead army for all I care. I don't long for children. I don't care about much. I just want to destroy this world and remake it into my own. The one thing that I needed to do that though, I was never able to find."

Saito could see and feel the wicked desires of the man before him.

'If he truly has been around that long with such a hatred, then this man might have well been gone for a long time now. This could just be the ghost of a man that is only staying around because of an emotion.'

"What was it that you needed."

He had a feeling what he might say, but he was hoping it wasn't true.

"Your genesis spell. That is what I have been looking for this whole time. As the avatar of void, your version of the spell surpasses that of a normal void user casting that spell. That is how I ran into you. I had heard of the black dragon's, my pet's, defeat."

"You're pet?"

"Oh, yes. It was. It started out like a normal dragon, but I infused it and experimented on it. That is how it became the way it was."

'That explains why it was so well in tune with void users.'

"That's insane," Saito says to him.

"Perhaps, but I don't really care what you think. I've heard that phrase before."

Saito lets out a sigh.

"I went to where it was defeated and that is when I came across you using genesis to restore the land. The destruction it caused was beautiful. I wanted that spell. I needed it so that I could destroy the whole world and remake it. So, I've followed you since then. I tracked your movement and spied on you with various spells. I learned everything that I could about you so that I could capture you. I followed you till the point you were alone and that is when I injected you with a potion that not only knocked you out, but also inhibited your avatar powers."

"I thought that it seemed like someone was watching me. I have to give you credit for your patience and attention though."

"As I tracked you and learned more about you, the more I hated you. You had everything that I could have wanted. It made me sick. You had so much that I find it funny that you be the one to destroy it all."

'That sick bastard. I feel bad about the life he's had, but listening to him makes me want to kill him more and more. I don't care if I died, but he is saying that he is going to have me kill all of the very people that I love and have been doing my best to protect and make happy.'

"I had a feeling that you were going to mention my genesis spell, but I think that you have greatly overestimated my abilities."

"I have not. I will use you as a catalyst for the casting of the spell. I will use a spell to max out your spell using up all of your strength. Besides. I know that you have the ability to enhance void powers with your life force. That should be enough to take out the whole or almost all of the planet. If you actually survive, then I will just find more uses for you, but I don't expect you to. We, including my current pet, will be fine inside of this circle that I have drawn on the floor."

A snort is heard somewhere behind Saito's head, but couldn't seem to get a good view to see the pet.

He struggles again to try to move.

'Please let me move somehow. I have to save everyone. This isn't how things should end.'

The man kneels down next to him.

"I think that we have talked long enough. It's time to destroy everything."

"Can't we talk about this? Maybe you could find friends with the people that I am with. We were all alone in one way or another."

"No. Those feelings are done with. I only want one thing now."

As soon as he finishes saying that, then man begins chanting a spell as he holds out a wand above Saito's face.

Saito loses control over himself and he unwillingly begins chanting his genesis spell.

'Please! No! This can't be happening. Come on body, work with me.'

When the spell finishes being cast, the destructive circle begins flowing from just outside the safety of the circle that was on the floor. The building around them instantly becomes destroyed and the man quickly begins laughing.

Saito's lifrasir runes begin to glow and start enhancing the spell.

Tears form and flow from Saito's eyes. He imagines the spell destroying everyone he loves and all of his friends in this world.

'Please. There has to be something I can do.'

He fights against his own body again. He tries to move it. He tries to gain access to any of his powers.

'Somebody help me. I don't care who.'

His body doesn't react to his whims or calls.

'With everything I have, there has to be something I could do. If only I could have changed the course of time and go back. Dammit!'

The man continues to laugh.

He hears the destruction of everything as his spell runs its course.

Then, everything goes completely black and silent.

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Omake

Safe Haven?

Saito wakes up with a bit of a headache.

He slowly opens his eyes to see that he is in a room that he doesn't recognize and that he is tied up.

There is a smell of freshly made tea in the room.

"Where the hell am I?" He says aloud.

'The last thing I remember is being in the office at the barracks.' He thinks to himself.

Just as he thinks that he hears footsteps coming. He tries to sit up in the bed that he seems to be in, but doesn't seem to manage to sit up.

"Relax." Comes a familiar female voice.

"Elisabeth?"

The blond-haired woman, Friedrich's daughter, comes into view. She adjusts her glasses.

"Yes. It is I, your loyal bookkeeper."

"Please untie me and tell me what this is about."

She nods and begins untying him.

After she unties him, she gets him a cup of tea.

She sits down in front of him while sipping her own cup of tea.

"I did this to save you."

"Huh?" He says in a puzzled manner as he tilts his head.

"I determined that having all of those women around you is detrimental to you."

"How did you figure that?"

"You are constantly being dragged around to all kinds of places because of them and you are being pulled in too many directions. I wanted to help you. All you do is run around and you don't have any actual time to relax a little."

"But . . ."

"I also did have some personal interest in this as well. I won't lie, because of my father's high recommendations that I have taken an interest in you. So, I absconded with you for both of our sakes. Perhaps now you can have some peace in your life with me at your side."

He scratches the side of his head.

"Even if I completely went with your plan, there is a slight problem that you didn't calculate into your equation."

"What could I have missed?" She innocently asks.

"Your father called me the chaos bringer. Meaning, I bring the chaos. Everywhere I go, chaos follows. By dragging me here, then who knows what is cosmically going to happen here. You could end up having anyone show up here. It could be the women in my life, or it could be some kind of strange ancient monster that just pops up out of nowhere. It could be some kind of vile evil enemy, or you could even end up having Karin of the Heavy Wind show up here."

She spits out the tea she was drinking.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 7

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	77. Chapter 77: Out Of Time

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy-Seven

Out Of Time

"Am I dead?"

"Did I destroy the world?"

"Did my mind fade from existence?"

Amidst the darkness, he can hear the sound of his heart pounding and every breath he takes.

All of a sudden, he hears a voice, a boy's voice.

"Neeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

'What the heck?'

A young boy comes into view. He is wearing typical commoner's clothing, has brown hair, and blue eyes with silver mixed in them. The young boy, whom seems to be about 8, is running around with his arms stretched out at either side like he was an airplane. He makes the airplane sound again.

"Neeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

Saito furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"Hello?" He says to the boy.

The boy stops by him. He now realizes that he is still on the ground, but untied.

He tries to move with utter failure, except for his head.

"Hey, mister?"

He draws his attention back to the boy.

"That's a pretty cool plane you flew."

"Um. Thank you."

The kid begins running around again acting like a plain. He does this around Saito a couple of times.

"Who are you?"

The child giggles.

"I'm the spirit of time. Although, you might like the term 'father time' a little better."

"Huh?"

The boy stops running by Saito's left side and stares down at him.

"I suppose that my looks are probably throwing you off. Children have the best view on life. I suppose that you would expect father time to look something like this."

Just as he finishes his sentence, the boy grows taller, becomes more aged, and grows a rather long white beard. His clothes also shift to white robes.

'Now he looks like Gandalf.' Saito muses as he does a double take.

A curious question comes to his mind.

"I didn't think that there was a . . . . "

"Spirit of time." The Gandalf-looking man says as he finishes Saito's sentence.

"Well, yeah. There has only been talk of 5 elements. So, I never suspected there to be a 6th."

The old man puts his hands behind his back and shrugs.

"That's understandable." He simply says to Saito.

"Care to elaborate?"

"About what exactly? I could elaborate a lot of different things. I have all the time in the world."

Saito chuckles at the joke.

"How about the fact that there is a 6th element that nobody seems to have knowledge of."

"That is actually rather simple if you were to think about it. Void has proven to be extremely rare to find user that were tuned to it, correct?"

"Yeah."

"In fact, it was almost thought to be just a folktale to most people until you came around. So, it wouldn't be all that unheard of to think that another element existed that was so rare that you would think it didn't exist."

"And you're saying that time is that element."

He smiles at Saito as he paces around him.

"Correct. There is nothing that exists without time attached to it. Everything revolves around time. Even those that are timeless, surely began. Even in nothingness, there is still a concept of time. Think of the earth-bound spirits. They may be what you would call immortal, but they began, and are still around."

"That's a bit to wrap my head around, but I think I get it."

"Good. There actually have been other time users in the past."

"There have?"

He nods.

"Some of which you might recognize as prophets or fortune tellers."

"I thought that they were just fakes. I mean, look at the people that predicted that the four and four would stop a great calamity."

"Are you sure that prophecy is still wrong?"

Saito's eyes go wide with that declaration and he stares at the time spirit.

"Or, perhaps they read into the wrong future."

Saito furrows his eyebrows again in confusion.

"Is that even possible?"

"Why not? Someone who does not fully understand their power or cannot control it will surely have unknown results."

"I guess I can see that."

"Then, there are the people who have been killed over that power, and never to exist again."

A chill runs down Saito's spine after hearing that ominous declaration.

"Outside of the hopeful answer that I want you to give me where you are going to save my ass, what brought you to me? And, where are we?"

"I will answer your second question first. I stopped time temporarily and I have you in my own little world. As far as the second question, it's a complicated answer."

"That sums up just about everything that has happened to me since coming to this world. Care to explain?"

The old man chuckles at Saito's response. Then he re-ages himself again and transforms into a man in his 30's with a mustache and goatee.

"For one, you are the avatar of 5 spirits, that is something not to be ignored. The other reason is that you awakened."

"Actually, I thought that I was about to die."

"Well, had things continued on, you certainly would have. Then, it would be quite a terrible fate for the world. What I really meant was that you were awakening the ability to use time within yourself.

"I had that power within me?"

The man nods.

"Regretfully, it was too little and too late to do anything by yourself. I had to stop events though. It is a shame to waste a good world."

"So, why are you involving me anyways? You seem crazy powerful. Couldn't you do something about this yourself?"

"I could, but I won't."

"Huh? What do you mean 'you won't?'"

"Exactly as I said. At least, directly."

"Now you've got me confused. If you have the power, then why won't you?" He says to the spirit in a slightly more raised tone.

"I suppose a vague answer like that would cause you some aggravation. There have been times in the past where I had personally interfered with things, and then see the outcomes of such meddling."

"You sound like someone that is bitter."

The man furrows his eyebrows.

"I am. I have watched this world created and destroyed many times over. You know of the lifecycle of this planet, but I have personally watched many versions of this planet's lifecycle. Sometimes, the outcome of my meddling was worse than the original outcome. I swore that I wouldn't directly change anything anymore. This world is in dire straits right now though. I want to help this world without doing it myself."

"So, you want me to do it."

"Exactly."

"But what can I do?"

"I want to give you the opportunity, one opportunity, to save this world."

"Even the people that I love and care about?"

"Yes."

"Then, what do I have to do?"

"I wish to send your mind back in time. I will only try this once. If you screw this up, then that will be the outcome for this world. I will not do it over and over again until you get it right."

"I understand. I ac. . . . "

The man abruptly holds out his hand in a stopping motion.

"Wait." He says to Saito in a commanding voice.

"What?"

"It's not quite that easy."

"But you said."

"There are warnings and stipulations that I must tell you before you accept my offer."

Saito takes a big gulp and he now begins worrying what this may entail.

The spirit continues on.

"You will become my avatar. You will wield the powers of time with me and for me. with becoming my avatar, you will gain the blessing and the curse of time."

"Blessing and curse?"

"You will gain what you refer to as immortality. You will be able to live forever as long as you stay as my avatar. But, you will also have the curse of watching all of your friends and lovers die. And no, I will not make so that they will live forever too. You may even lose all sense of urgency with a timeless body. This does not mean that you can't die. But, with your other avatar abilities, that will be nearly impossible as well."

"I don't like the sound of that, but if being able to save everyone means that I will watch them get old and die, then so be it."

"That is not all. I have a stipulation. For me to give you this power, then you must do something for me. You must become this world's guardian. It's protector. You will have the powers of all of the spirits within you and you must use them for the betterment of this planet. You already know that sometimes people must die an order for others to live. This is a great understanding that all great warriors end up facing. Thinking that no one should die is a childish fantasy."

Before Saito could open up his mouth again, the spirit continues on.

"I need to give a couple more warnings before you decide to accept this. There are people that have gotten this power before you that have let the power get to their head. If this happens and you decide to defy me and the other spirits, then we will kill you. I will also heed you the same warning that I came to discover myself that I already told you about. Going back in time and changing things does not mean that they will turn out exactly as you think they will. You could have a completely different mess to deal with."

"That's a lot to take in."

"It is indeed, but you are running out of time, you need to make your choice."

Saito smiles at him.

"You already told me how things are going to end if I don't do this. So, my choice was pretty much made for me."

"Perhaps. You could always decide to stick with the ways things are currently going."

"And, you would let them?"

"Yes. If that is your decision."

"Would I have to change the way I am living?"

"Not for now. You can frolic as the king that you are. Eventually, you will have to disappear so that no one becomes the wiser of your lifespan."

"I will do it. I need to save everyone that I love. I need to save this planet from that madman."

"That's the spirit. Guardian. The other question is, when in time do you want me to place your mind back into?"

Saito thinks on this for a moment.

'I could easily just go back to the exact moment before he was about to inject me in the neck. But, that wouldn't give me much time to prepare for anything more. If I go further back, then I could train my time abilities or make plans to track him. He said that he had been following me ever since I used my genesis spell.'

"I have made my choice."

"Oh?" He says in a pleasant tone in response to Saito.

"I want to go back to when I first woke up after the fight with the dragon."

"A wise choice. I am surprised you did not choose to go further back."

"I did not want to get to greedy. I won't lie though, part of me wanted to go back to before my battle with 70,000. I could save the people that I didn't save before. But, who knows what that would change. I could do a lot of things different."

"Not being greedy and not letting the power get to your head is a good thing. Now, to make you my avatar."

He kneels down next to Saito and stares into his eyes. His gaze entices Saito to keep looking, as if it was pulling him in and making him unable to look away.

"I am Nero. Remember my name for all eternity."

As Saito stares into Nero's eyes, he feels his head begin to surge. Visions begin flashing before his eyes of the past, present, and future. They run by so quick that he can't really discern anything though. After another moment of this, he feels like his head is about to explode.

Just as he feels like his head is about to explode with knowledge, it goes away. He lies there silently.

"Congratulations. You are now the avatar of time."

"Ugh. Now I am going to have another voice in my head. I am glad that you are the last one. That means there is no chance to run into another spirit."

"Who says that I am the last one?"

Saito pauses a moment in thought and worry.

"I thought you said that you were the last one."

The man starts laughing.

"Oh. It's been so long since I have laughed like that. I think that I had almost forgotten what it was like. Relax. I did say that I was the last one."

Saito lets out a sigh of relief.

"Now, let's get you back in time." Nero says and smacks Saito in the forehead.

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After waking up back in the past with Julia by his side, he carried on the initial conversations as well as he could remember them going like the first time they happened.

With most of the group around him (except for Tiffania), and concluding the conversation about the elves, he decided to add on a new topic.

"Everyone. We have a big problem."

'I assume that this also has to do with the fact that there is another presence residing within you.' Serena adds.

'I feel the loss of Gotama. Oh, that's right. I didn't get involved with him just yet. Damn this time skip stuff.' Saito thinks to himself.

"What kind of a problem is it? You've been here for the past 4 days. So, it's not like you could have caused any more trouble while you were sleeping." Adds Agnes.

"Actually, I've been awake for over 3 months."

Siesta gets a wide-eyed and lost look in her eyes

"Huh?" She says.

He scratches the back of his head and smiles nervously.

"I guess I should explain, huh?"

"An explanation would be wonderful." Replies Tabitha.

Henrietta also nods in agreement.

"Alright. I think I have enough time to explain it to you and still have enough time to see Bidashal off.

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For the months to follow, Saito and the others did most of the things that they had done the first time around.

He had regained his avatar abilities from the void spirit and performed the genesis spell again while holding Tiffania. This also gained the watch of his new foe again.

One major thing that had been changed was the fact that Colbert and Eleonore used magic to try to watch for when Saito was was being watched. When Saito wasn't being watched, he took on the added task of trying to develop his abilities more with the battles that was to come on the original fateful day.

The surprise of getting Derflinger back was ruined, but still done.

Taking care of the wind stones was also still systematically done.

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The fateful day.

After going through the same actions he had done before, Saito was now leaving the shop where he chose the various forms of jewelry for all of his loved ones.

As he starts walking away he tries to remember exactly where he was when he was taken down. Then he sees a building that he faintly remembered before passing out.

'There it is.'

He tries hard not to hasten his steps as he gets closer to the building. Just as he is about to pass the building, he changes the skin around his neck to stone. He didn't have to chant anything an order to just do the neck.

Then he hears a ping against his neck.

"I . . . . What the?"

Saito quickly swings his arm around to try to hit the man behind him. Unfortunately, the man ducks at the same time as he swings.

'I had this planned out perfectly, how could he have known.' The villain thinks to himself.

He then jabs the syringe into Saito's gut and begins to inject the fluid.

A loud crack is heard, and something wraps around his neck. He quickly gets jerked back away from Saito. The syringe falls to the ground and shatters. He desperately tries to fight against the whip that was currently around his neck. A sharp pain is felt as something is jabbed into the center of his back.

"Don't mess with a maid's master." Siesta says to him.

He starts laughing.

Siesta's eyes go wide in surprise and she begins backing away from the guy that should be lying dead on the ground.

"Crap. He infused his body with spells." Saito mutters out as he falls to his knees.

He didn't get the full injection, but a little bit did get inside of him.

He starts to lose consciousness and falls over.

Henrietta comes from around a corner screaming out to Saito.

"I don't know how you knew that I was going to do this, or how he knew about my body, but it doesn't matter. It's not going to be that easy."

Agnes, Aimee, Guinevere, and Julia come rushing out as well. Agnes draws out her new sword. The other three all have their muskets drawn

Eleonore also come out. She has her dancing streams spell already going. She glares at the bald and pale-skinned man.

A flash is seen and then a moment later, Tabitha is seen while riding Sylphid.

Tiffania walks toward Saito and Henrietta.

The man grumbles in annoyance.

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are. My familiar and I will kill all of you. Cerberus!"

As soon as he calls out, there is a loud growl and a massive, three-headed dog reveals itself from under a giant cloak. The beast stands 8 feet tall at the top of its head. Well, three heads.

He takes off the whip that was around his neck and throws it on the ground. Then he manages to pull the dagger out as well and also tosses it on the ground.

"That hurt a lot, you wench. I will admit that would have killed me had it not been for all of my fortification. Now it is my turn."

He pulls out his wand.

"Cerberus, attack! Kill them all!"

At his side, Henrietta kneels next to Saito's unconscious body. Henrietta's ring glows and she casts one of her spells and creates a massive ice wall between them and their enemy.

With his command, the beast lunges forward and swipes at Aimee. The massive paw leaves several claw marks on her arm and she screams out a little bit in pain.

Agnes makes an attack at Cerberus with her sword and one of heads latches onto it with its mouth.

Julia takes out a hand musket and fires a round at it. The three-headed hound flinches but it does not stop.

Tabitha was about to unleash a fury of wind blades at the hellish hound but gets stopped and a fireball gets fired at them. Sylphid barely manages to dodge the attack.

"Did you forget that I am here?" The man says to her.

"I didn't forget you. Wave smasher!" Shouts Eleonore as she casts a spell.

The pillars of water that were surrounding her move out of the way as she casts her spell. A massive wave of water blasts at him. He takes the massive hit, but most of it gets absorbed. The hit forces him to take a step back to brace himself from falling over.

She clicks her tongue in annoyance.

"That was a pretty powerful hit, you bitch. I commend you. Now, here is a pretty little present for you in return. Explosion!"

He points his want at her and he releases Louise's signature spell.

Instead of hitting her, though, it hits a wall that just barely forms in time right in front of her. Tiffania pants in relief as she was the one that cast the spell. The wall shatters and parts of it fly at Eleonore, but her dancing streams blocks all of the pieces from hitting her.

Siesta pulls out both of her hand muskets and fires them both at him. He winces, but then glares back at the maid.

"Didn't you already learn that you can't kill me like that?"

"Maybe if I hit you enough times it will." Siesta retorts back.

Tiffania turns to Weylyn, and casts a spell on her wolf. In turn, the wolf grows larger in size. Its size is nearly tripled from the spell. It rushes around the group and easily leaps over the ice wall that Henrietta had put up. It snarls and roars at one of Cerberus' heads.

After shouting his name several more times, Henrietta tries to use a healing spell on Saito to see if that would help.

Oriana summons up a dozen of her Fenrir hounds, a half dozen of her gargoyles, and a couple bears.

With the runes on her forehead glowing, she orders them to attack their new opponent.

"Did you honestly think that I couldn't handle a few beasts. I have been around far too long. Lightning. Release your shocking force and branch out. Chain Lightning!"

As he finishes the chanting of the spell, a lightning bolt fires from his wand and strikes down nearly all of her summoned creatures.

"That was a distraction." Oriana says as she lifts Kothar's staff into the air and makes a striking motion at him.

A bolt of lightning strikes down at him. He grits his teeth from the hit, but again, most of it gets absorbed.

'This is becoming more and more irritating.' The pale mage thinks to himself.

Sylphid slams down onto Cerberus' back and digs her claws deep into the hound. It roars from the pain.

After pulling her comrade back with her, Guinevere manages to climb up the icy wall and aims her musket at him. She fires a shot and quickly begins reloading.

"Gust of wind!" He shouts, and Guinevere gets blown off of the slippery wall.

She yelps as she falls. Her musket gets flung through the air.

Leaving Sylphid to deal with the hound, Tabitha gets next to Eleonore as she releaces her dancing streams spell and they combine spells and fire at the evil mage.

Siesta ducks to the side to get out of the path.

A massive blast of wind and ice shards come flying at him. He gets impaled by some of the shells.

He grits his teeth angrily and glares at the two of them. He casts a spell and a massive ring of fire spreads from him outward.

The fires blast Tabith, Eleonore, and Oriana back as their clothes singe slightly. The fires also melt away a good chunk of the wall that Henrietta had put up.

"Saito! Wake up! We need you!" Henrietta shouts.

Tears fall from her face and onto his cheeks.

Agnes uses all of her strength to pull on her sword and slices through the mouth of the head that had its jaw clamped on her sword. Blood splatters from the slash. It whimpers.

She was about to activate an ability with the sword, but the same head that she cut, bashes her aside and she goes flying 6 feet through the air. She hits the ground hard.

Julia shoots at an eye of the head that was currently being occupied.

Weylyn bites at one of the necks, but it also bites down on him. Wylyn howls in agony.

Tiffania runs between Saito, Henrietta, and the man. She begins chanting her memory spell on him.

"Oh no you don't. Igneous pillar."

A pillar of rock shoots out from the ground and smashes into Tiffania's stomach. It sends her flying through the air before she could finish her spell and she makes a hard smack on the ground when she lands. She coughs up some blood.

"Now, to take care of you." He says as he looks at Henrietta.

"You're not done with me yet!" Tiffania shouts as she staggers to her feet and wipes the blood away from her mouth.

Her hand glows green and she touches a tree that she was standing next to. The tree begins to move. It uproots itself and its trunk begins to split into legs. A cracking sound is heard as it does this. Two of its large branches begin acting like arms. Leaves fall off of it as it moves toward the mage.

"Well now. This is interesting. I have never seen anything like this before. What kind of an elven mage are you?"

"One that doesn't want you getting anywhere near her loved one."

Henrietta looks over to her cousin after hearing those words and she nods in agreement. She stands up and readies her scepter.

The animated tree hits him a few times, but he backs up and casts a spell at it. When he finishes the spell, it rots away and turns to dust before it even hits the ground.

"Tornado of water."

A whirlwind blast of water emits from Henrietta's scepter.

Agnes slices into the air with her sword and a blade of flame comes from her slice and slams into the side of the ferocious beast.

Julia thrusts her sword up through the lower jaw of one of the heads of Cerberus. It pops out through the top of the head.

The mage struggles to stay afoot. He absorbs a lot of the blast, but he can't take it all and falls to the ground.

Saito slowly opens his eyes as the effects wear off of the liquid that was injected into him. He opens them to see Henrietta blasting her spell at the mage. He also notices the fight with Cerberus.

Henrietta's spell finishes.

'Shit. I've got to help them.'

He staggers to his knees and begins chanting.

"Nero, father of time, the beginning and the end, lend me time within time."

"Dammit! He's awa. . . ." The man begins to shout.

His sentence gets cut off as time stops all around them except for Saito and Derflinger.

"It's about time that you woke up partner. You had me worried."

"No kidding. Sorry I took so long."

He shakily gets to his feet and uses the speed up spell on himself. He then runs over to the hound and cuts at all four of its legs and completely severs its body in half with Derflinger. The limbs do not fall just yet and blood does not spurt all over within the stopped time.

After dealing with Cerberus, he rushes over and stands in front of the crazed mage.

"How are you going to kill him brother? He's been shot at and impaled many times over without dying. You are running out of time to decide."

"I know. I still see the wounds that everything has made on him. I bet without those spells in place, that we die."

"Good thinking."

He quickly casts the dispel magic spell on the man and rams Derflinger through the mage's chest. Right through his heart. After he does that, he releases the spell.

Cerberus instantly begins gushing blood from all of the cuts made by Saito and falls to pieces.

Horror comes over the man's face as he sees Saito standing in front of him with Derflinger jammed into him.

"But how?" He says to Saito as blood flows from all of his wounds and out of his mouth.

"I guess time wasn't on your side after all."

The man falls over dead.

Saito smiles as he looks around and sees everyone is still alive.

His eyes turn dark blue and he chants a spell.

"Sphere of healing."

Everyone gets engulfed in a bubble blue light flows from him to everyone that is hurt.

'You were right, Nero. It didn't turn out to be as easy as I thought it would. But, at least it ended with everyone still alive.'

'Yes, my avatar. But I bet there is something that will probably bother you for a long time.'

'What would that be?'

'Did I already know that this was going to be the outcome of making you my avatar?'

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

Almost finished. That was the last of the villains for my story. I hope you enjoyed the battle. Only 2 or 3 more chapters left.

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 8

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


	78. Chapter 78: Home

Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace

I do not own Familiar Of Zero

Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

{Other Inner Voice}

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Chapter Seventy-Eight

Home

Late-morning.

Saito is in his library at his mansion. He is currently draped along the sofa that is in there with his eyes closed. Hanging off the sofa is his right leg.

Aimee is leaning against the woodworking of the doorway into the library with a serene facial expression as she glances as Saito every now and then.

'Is immortality that bothersome to you?' Asks Serena.

'It does seem to be bothering me a bit, especially with all of the other girls in my life. I suppose that it might be kind of hard for someone like you to understand.'

'We spirits are timeless beings after all.'

He lets out a soft sigh.

'Just think, though. You will get to see not only your loved ones, your children, but also your grandchildren live their lives.'

'I suppose so.'

'I think that there is something that I could tell you to cheer you up.' Says Nero.

'And what could that possible be?'

'Here is something to think about. Yes, most of the women you are with have normal human life spans, but not everyone that you are with or could be with, are.'

This peaks Saito's curiosity a little bit.

'What do you mean?'

'It is exactly as I said. Not everyone in your harem is human.'

'You mean Tiffania?'

'She is one of them, yes. Elves can live for over 700 years.'

'I knew that they could live long, but I didn't think that long. You also made the comment, one of them.'

'There is another member that will live far longer that you could even suspect.'

'Who, and how long? I thought everyone else was human'

'Now, you can't expect me to give you all of the answers, would you?'

'That would be nice.'

Nero laughs at his remark.

'That would take all the fun out of things. I will tell you this. If you really think about it, there is only one person that it could be.'

He grumbles a little bit in annoyance.

'I will have to think about that sometime. And, what did you mean by could be with?'

'There is another being that you could be with that is not in your harem yet. Then there is always the option of dating one of the spirits.'

"I could date one of the spirits?" He mumbles aloud.

'I most certainly wouldn't mind if you dated me.' Serena adds.

'I would and wouldn't mind if you dated Zephira.' Vsuman adds.

'Why is it that I feel that your motives aren't just.' Saito replies to Vasuman.

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Oriana walks into the mansion and then over to the library entrance where she meets Aimee.

"He's been lying there for a little while. I thought I heard him mumble to himself a couple of times. Maybe he was dreaming or talking to the spirits."

"Thanks, Aimee."

Aimee lets her through.

As Oriana walks over to her master and lover, she smiles at him. The light that is entering the room gives her white outfit a bit of a glow.

Feeling her presence, he shits slightly so that there was a little bit of room for her to sit. He opens his eyes and sees her smiling down at him. She sits down at the space that he managed to make for her.

"It is almost noon, Saito. Are you planning on spending the day in here?"

"Not all day. I just had some things on my mind."

"I could tell, especially after you skipped out on morning training. I also felt it."

"I kind of figured. I think that I am feeling a little better now, thank you for coming to check on me."

She leans over and gives him a kiss on the lips.

"I think that today will be a good day to do something that I have been wanting to do."

"What is that, my lord?"

"What brought on the 'my lord' thing?"

"Would you rather me call you master?"

He huffs.

"I don't win with you, do I?"

"Sometimes you do."

"You are a cheeky one, aren't you?"

She gives him a playful smile.

"Whatever do you mean?"

He rolls his eyes.

"Never mind."

She giggles a little bit.

"So, what are we up to?"

"I will tell you in a bit. First, let's gather up all of my wives, lovers, mistresses, or whatever you want to call them."

Oriana raises a finger.

"Remember, Eleonore is your 'kept woman'."

He waves her off.

"Yeah, yeah. So troublesome."

She giggles again.

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After a few hours, and a lot of hoping back and forth between cities, he managed to gather everyone in the library of his mansion.

Eleven women were standing there, looking at him and wondering what was going on.

Henrietta seems to have a rather odd glow about her.

Eleonore shifts her glasses and is the first to speak up.

"Now that everyone is here, would you mind telling us now what we are here for?"

He gives them all a simple smile.

"I have been pretty busy, and every time I wanted to do it, something came up. I finally mastered the spell with a lot of help from Gotama."

"What spell?" Chimes in Tiffania.

"His world door spell." Tabitha says.

Siesta pouts while she puts her hands on her hips.

"And how did you know?"

"Because she is my bib sister, yeah!" Sylphid nearly shouts out.

Saito shakes his head.

'That's probably about it. Almost creepy though. I will have to ask her about that another time.'

"She is right, though. I have perfected the world door. I gathered all of you here so that I can take you to my world, my home."

Everyone gives various forms of surprise and delight. Tabitha is the only exception. She stands there stoically.

'So, you're finally going to go see your home.'

'Yes, and I want to take all of you with me.'

"I want all of you to meet my family, and maybe we can go to a mall."

"What's a mall?" Aimee asks.

"It is basically an outrageously sized building with lots of shops in it that you can buy goods and food from."

"That sounds like a lot of fun." Says Henrietta.

'And probably expensive.' He worries.

Drool nearly escapes Sylphid's mouth at the thought of trying new food.

"Are you sure that it will be alright if we all up at your house like this, especially with you being gone so long?" Agnes wisely asks.

"I am sure that there will be a lot of explaining, but I am sure it will be okay. If not, then I can always use my spell to bring us back here."

"I am glad that I have my hat with me." Tiffania says in a worried tone.

He scratches the back of his head.

'It will be alright, Tiffa. I will be there with you.'

His words seem to calm her down a little bit.

'Sorry we can't take Weylyn, but it would be hard to cover for his presence. Wolves aren't exactly common in the cities where I come from.'

'That's a shame, but I understand.'

"If any of you don't want to go, then I understand. You don't have to go."

"I would love to go. I want to see what your world is like. And I would also like to meet your parents. Especially now." Says Henrietta with a rather warm tone.

Eleonore looks at her questioningly for a moment, but it gets unnoticed by Henrietta as she looks at Saito.

Everyone else gives various forms of agreement with the queen as well.

He holds out his right hand and begins chanting the world door spell. The words are slightly different, and the chant seems to take longer than his usual casting of the spell.

When he finally finishes the spell, the portal slowly opens to his world. Through the portal opening, he can see into his room and his parent's house.

"Alright, everybody. Go through the portal."

As he says this, he uses his lifdrasir runes to empower his spell. The door opens wider and more stable for everyone to go through.

Everyone begins going through the door and piling into his former bedroom.

Tabitha is the last one of the girls to go through with him trailing right behind her.

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With everyone finally in the room, it is rather crowded considering it was only an average sized bedroom to begin with. Saito tries to catch his breath from using his runes.

'I might not die from their use, but I still feel a bit of a drain.'

He also notices something else.

'I still feel like I have my powers, but they seem a little weaker.'

'That is rightfully so.' Nero communicates to him.

'What do you mean?'

'Not only are you in a different world, but you are in a different time. You won't be able to communicate with the other spirits, but I can if necessary.'

'How is it that I can communicate with you?'

'I am the spirit of time.' He says to Saito as though he should have already known the answer.

Saito gets pulled from his thoughts he hears the commotion all around him. Everyone is starting to look all around his room at the various things in his room.

"Let's try to keep it down guys. If we get loud without me seeing my parents first, we might scare the shit out of them." He says in a low tone.

Just then, Tiffania trips and falls on top of him as they land on his bed. The action causes Aimee to stumble backwards into one of his bookshelves. This makes a loud thump. Some anime figures fall off the shelf and onto the floor. A globe also starts to fall, but Agnes catches it before it his Aimee in the head.

Tabitha backs up against the wall to avoid getting hurt herself.

Siesta frantically looks around to make sure nothing more happens, when she bumped into by Eleonore. Oriana tries to stop them from going into his desk, but all of them end up crashing into it and snapping it. The items on his desk (along with his already broken computer) fall to the floor.

Sylphid, after seeing Tiffania and Saito on the bed, decides that it would also be fun to jump on the bed.

Henrietta watches this as she peers around Julia, whom is protecting her in a corner.

Guinevere stands there stupefied by the whole situation.

A few thumps are heard and Saito's door flies open, hitting Guinevere in the face.

Saito's head dangles over his bed and he looks at his dad from an upside-down view while Tiffania's ample bosom presses against his chest.

His father is wearing a simple polo shirt with khaki pants on. He has dark hair that is parted to one side, and he is about 40.

A brief moment of pause.

"Hi dad." He says with an unsteady smile.

"Hello son."

Another set of thumps can be heard as his mother runs up the steps and peers into her son's room.

Saito waves from his awkward position.

"Hi mom." He joyfully says.

His mother, whom seems to be the same age as her husband, is wearing an apron because she was about ready to start cooking. The also has black hair. It is down to just past her ears. Underneath the apron, she is wearing a white, button up shirt and a red skirt.

She starts to wave at her son while in a state of confusion.

Derflinger pops out of his hilt.

"Hello, Saito's mom!"

His mom finally hits her limit when Derflinger finally speaks to her and she turns very pale. Then, she faints.

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His mom begins to wake up. She is lying on the couch in the living room. Saito's dad is kneeling next to her on the floor. As she opens her eyes, he is there with a glass of water. She sits up slowly and looks around at everyone in the room.

She takes note of everyone's attire but doesn't say anything right away. Sitting there, she drinks up the water that her husband gave her.

"Are you alright, Chizuru? You fainted."

She nods.

"Son, I think that you have a lot of explaining to do. Where have you been? Have you been eating well? Who are all of these girls? How did everyone get into your room without us knowing? And, did I really have a sword talk to me?" Chizuru rapid fires these questions at him.

Before Derflinger could even think about popping out again, Saito wraps his hand around Derflinger.

"Yes, I do have a lot of explaining to do. I hope that you have some time to listen."

"Maybe I should make some tea." His mom says.

"Can I help?" Siesta and Tiffania both chime in.

"Maybe you two should let her do it for now. You aren't used to the cooking utensils here."

His mom and dad both raise their eyebrows at what he said.

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After making a huge batch of tea, everyone is settled in various spots around the living room. Some are leaning against the walls, sitting on the floor, and some are in chairs scattered about.

"To start answering your questions. I am fine. I wasn't kidnapped. Well, maybe I kind of was, but it's okay now."

Everyone stares at him as fumbles over himself.

His mom gives a bit of a huff.

"How about you tell us who all of these girls are first." His dad says.

"They are all his wives and mistresses, Yeah."

Everyone stares at Sylphid in shock after her blunt and tactless statement.

"Sylphid!" Everyone shouts.

"All of them?" His mom asks in disbelief.

He nervously smiles and nods.

"Pretty much."

She faints again.

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After she wakes up again, he goes into explaining what happened to him and how he got sucked into another world. He summed up what seemed like a fairytale to his parents. He gave minor descriptions of who each of the girls were and what Derflinger was. He even performed some minor magic help make them believe in his story.

With glasses of sake in their hands at this point, his parents look at each other and then him.

"Saito, we have something to tell you as well."

Saito gets a puzzled look on his face.

"What is it, dad?"

"When you went missing, your mother and I were scared and worried about you. We've had it really hard here since you were gone."

His parents link hands.

"We have had a lot of emotional ups and downs, especially with every hour that you were gone in the beginning. Getting your broken computer back and filing a missing persons report on you was devastating. We had so many different things running through our heads and life around here had become quite chaotic."

"I'm sorry that I had you so worried."

He could tell that his mom was getting a little teary-eyed. So, he goes to sit next to her on the couch and she embraces him.

"There was something that we were told long ago that was keeping our faith up that you were still alive."

"What could that have possible been?" Siesta interjects.

The father gives an odd expression.

"Your great grandfather had passed down a warning for each generation. A warning to not worry if one day someone that is a descendent of his disappears without a trace. And, that he or she is being called to another world. We thought it was a joke or some kind of old folktale, but it was the only thing that was holding us together."

"Well, as you can see, it really wasn't just an old folktale. My great grandfather must have been Brimir from the other world."

"This is great that you are back. We can get you off of that missing persons list."

Saito shakes his head.

"I'm sorry mom, but no. I have to go back. I can't stay here. My home is Halkeginia now. I have my wives, my kingdoms, and my army there. I am also the guardian of that world."

"But, what about here?"

"I will come visit whenever I get a chance. There is also another option."

"What is that, son?"

"You could come live in Halkeginia, too. You don't have to make your decision now though."

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Later on, after a huge fiasco of a dinner was eaten (that Siesta also helped cook with Saito's mother), everyone was relaxing in various spots around the house again.

Chizuru was going around to all of the women and asking them about their relationship with her son, and eventually she comes up to Sylphid.

"Sylphid, right?"

She gives a very happy nod to the mother.

"You said that the others were all his wives, and mistresses, but what about you? You're not one of his mistresses."

"Oh, no. I still think that I am a little young for that. I do like him though. He is really nice to me and Tabitha. He is also with far too many people right now. I can just wait about 60 years or so."

Chizuru gets a perplexed look on her face.

"but, wouldn't he be a bit too old by that point? You might be a dragon, but he is a human."

"It's no problem. He is immortal. So, we will have lots of time together during my 4000 year life span."

She said this to her without thinking about the fact that he hadn't mentioned that to his mom just yet.

Everyone stops in their tracks and stares at the dragon in human form in awe and shock. This was for the fact that not only did she spill the beans about his immortality but also that she is interested in him.

'So that's who Nero was referring to that wasn't a part of harem yet. That still doesn't answer who isn't exactly human that is in my harem.' Saito thinks to himself.

She gets slightly pale again.

"He's . . . . . immortal?"

Sylphid nods her head happily up and down again. With that, Saito's mother passes out again. Agnes catches her before she hits the floor.

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That night.

Everyone had decided to have a slumber party at his mother's house. Chizuru was going around and checking on everyone. She had stopped at her son's room.

She looks inside and sees inside the room. Aimee was on a futon on the floor. Saito was in his bed with Tiffania and Eleonore.

"Now look, my son, just because I am allowing girls to sleep in the same room with you, doesn't mean you can do any hanky-panky with them. You might be a king, but this is still mine and your father's house."

"Yes, mom."

Aimee giggles a little bit while the other two inwardly pout.

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In the middle of the night.

Siesta was in a nightgown that Saito's mom had provided for her. She was currently sneaking down the hallway from a guest room to Saito's room.

She was a few feet away from the door when she feels a dark presence behind her. She slowly turns her head around to see whom is behind her.

It was Chizuru.

She was in her own purple nightgown and she was holding a cooking ladle in one hand and tapping it against the other. She is currently giving Siesta a knowing glare.

"And, where do you think that you are going?"

"The bathroom?" Siesta says sheepishly.

"No lewd acts in my home, especially in my nightgown."

She then proceeds to whop the maid on the head with the ladle.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my story.

I will be updating one of the last two lemon scenes on the other site tomorrow – no joke this time. The scene with Oriana is just about done. I don't know why it took my soo long to get it done.

Please read my new story.

 ****New Story****

 **My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 1**

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 9

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete


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